A Killer In Hindsight
by LightsWillIgniteUs
Summary: Kagome is a cook in need of a job. Inuyasha is the captain of a boat in need of a cook. They set sail upon the Pacific with their motly crew of deckhands. In the process they land shipwrecked on a middleofnowhere island, meeting some very unusual people.
1. Prologue

**A Killer In Hindsight**

Prologue

**Disclaimer**: Don't own Inuyasha and Co. Never have and I never will.

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

OOO-Flashback

XXX-break in scene or POV

**Author's Note**: This is the edited version I received from my Beta.

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A small, frustrated, sigh escaped the tiny woman currently hovering over the daily newspaper, pen in hand, she circled, yet another, want ad. She, Kagome Higurashi, was out of yet another job. She had something of a knack for losing jobs just as quickly as she got them. This was the third time this month that she had reluctantly pulled out the newspaper, opened it to the want ads with red pen in hand.

Kagome had really thought that this last one would be the one she would stick with for a while; however, she had lost her temper with her boss. For some insane reason, he had this silly little idea that she would sleep with him. Boy was he ever wrong, she had slapped him silly and high-tailed it outta there. If there was one thing that always got to her it was a perverted co-worker.

She guessed she was kind of pretty, she never really thought about it, in her opinion she was a bit on the average side, nothing really special. Her co-workers seemed to think otherwise. They had groped, hit-on, and basically all around demeaned her for being a woman in a man's world. See, Kagome was a chef, a damn good one at that, but in a profession overrun by over-bearing chubby little men, who thought she really didn't have the guts to survive, and with her being so shy as it was, she herself wasn't really sure she had what it took either.

Years of people around her telling her she would never make it in the culinary world had made her incredibly self-conscious. Even though she did have a nasty temper when provoked, she usually kept to herself. It was sad really. Kagome had a kind heart and a beautiful smile. She loved children and animals, but during high school she had never really kept with the latest fashions, she was too busy working on mastering the art of cooking, and if you weren't up with the latest in clothing trends, you were out. Sure a couple of the boys had asked her out, knowing that underneath her some what geeky exterior lay a pretty girl, but she had turned them all down, much to her mother's disappointment.

Her cat Buyou rubbed against her leg, causing her to jump a little. "Stupid cat" she murmured, as she turned the page of her Tokyo Times newspaper. She had made it about halfway down the column when one particular ad caught her eye:

Wanted

Decent cook for small fishing vessel.

Preferably male.

Must have some experience.

Apply ASAP to:

Turtle Shell Marina

Dock 13.

Kagome had rolled her eyes a little at the "preferably male" part of the ad and shrugged her shoulders 'best one I've seen yet,' she thought. It had, in fact, been the best one. Most of the one's she circled so far had been for cleaning houses and what not. It wasn't that she didn't like to clean, or she was lazy, she just knew she wasn't very good at it. Kagome would take anything she could get with cooking, it was what she loved to do and it was what she was best at.

The timer on the oven dinged and she temporarily left her post at the table to take the cookies she had been baking out of the oven. Truth be told, they smelled heavenly and even though it was only nine in the morning, she couldn't wait to have one. Kagome had gotten up especially early to make her famous 'Kitchen-Sink Cookies', she was particularly well known about the apartment building for them. She often gave them out as little Christmas gifts to her neighbors. Setting the pan down on the island counter in the middle of her small kitchen, she left them to cool before going off to take a shower.

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	2. Kitchen Sink Cookies

A Killer In Hindsight

Chapter 1: Kitchen Sink Cookies Get You Everywhere

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha and Company.

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

OOO-Flashback

XXX-Break in scene or POV

**Author's Note**: Edited Version.

This was the fifth time today another, rather unqualified, cook had come to see him. A couple days ago he had sent in an ad to be placed in the Tokyo Times only to have it come out today, the very day his crewmates and himself would be leaving. They couldn't set out without a chef, and were most likely going to leave behind schedule. If there was anything that frustrated the hanyou more, it was being behind schedule.

The being that stood there on the upper level deck of the fishing vessel was a god, for lack of a better word. He was currently shirtless, showing off his lean muscular frame, with eyes the color of amber, hair white as the snow itself and the cutest little doggy ears twitching atop his head. Inuyasha's large calloused hands grasped the bright orange railing as he looked out over the boat. His crew was currently mopping the deck and loading on the nets. The sun was shining but not in our young captain's mind, he scowled as he watched them. They weren't going to like the news of leaving late.

The deck hands currently consisted of Miroku, his first mate, and although the man was perverted he was good at what he did. Next, was Kouga, even though the wolf demon was cocky, he and Inuyasha had some strange, warped form of friendship. Then came Sango, now normally, he wouldn't let a woman step foot on his precious boat, it was bad luck you know, but he had made an exception for her. She was strong and a bit more on the gruff side, but he liked her and his first mate was in love with her. Sango was one who would get the job done, and in his mind, that was all that mattered.

Then there was Shippou, he had found the small kitsune stowed away underneath one of the tarps. He was only ten and had begged and pleaded with him to stay, the kid had proved his worth being damn good with a mop and broom, and the gods knew they definitely needed someone who could clean up after them. The kid was normally quiet and he didn't cause too much trouble.

Then there was Hojo, the bumbling idiot, why he still kept him around he would never know. And Hiten, the guy had lost his brother a couple years ago to a rough storm while out at sea. Inuyasha had taken pity on him, and given him a job. And last but not least, the boat's doctor, Jinenji. The guy was kind of quiet, so no one paid too much mind to him and he did come in handy last year, when Kouga had broken his arm, wrestling with one of the larger nets.

XXX

Kagome stepped out of the shower; steam streaming out from behind her, grabbing her big fluffy towel she wrapped herself in it. Her wet hair dripping onto the blue bath mat, she wiped the fog from the mirror, grabbed her toothbrush from the little stand on the sink and proceeded to brush her teeth. Mentally, she went through her wardrobe trying to decide what to wear for the interview. Humming, she continued on to her bedroom, the plush green rug, soft, beneath her feet.

Kagome opened the doors to her closet on the right side of the room and sat on her black bedspread, staring into it, waiting for the right choice to jump out at her. Eventually, realizing that nothing was going to jump out soon and her cookies were still cooling in the kitchen, plus the fact that she wanted to get down to the marina as soon as she could, she dove into her closet and emerged with a pair of low-rise slim blue jeans and a forest green tank top. Grabbing some panties and a bra, she got dressed, towel dried her still dripping hair as best she could and went on to the kitchen. Of course, the cookies were cooled enough by the time she emerged from her bedroom just down the hall; she grabbed a plastic baggy, stuck one cookie in her mouth and ten more into the baggie.

Kagome figured she might as well take some with her; they might just end up landing her the job. Throwing her hair up into a high ponytail, she grabbed her light blue track jacket, making sure she had her cookies, her keys and some money for the cab. Kagome slipped on her sneakers, headed off down the hall, and down the stairs, to the door that would take her to the street.

XXX

She had hailed the cab some fifteen minutes ago and told the balding man in the front of her destination, vaguely she recognized the song "Dark Blue" by Jack Mannequin playing in the background. It had been sometime since Kagome had been to a marina, her father used to own a small lobster boat and she would go out with him sometimes to set out or bring in traps. Those were some of her best memories; and then one day her father had up and sold the boat. She remembered locking herself in her room for days.

It seemed her small family had fallen into some recent debt and could no longer pay the bills, but her father was most affected by the selling of the boat and he had fallen into a deep depression. He was a Lobsterman by nature, and now that it was gone, he had felt he had failed his family and one day committed suicide.

Shortly after that day, Mrs. Higurashi had come to the realization that she was pregnant. It was a small joy in the devastated family's life. Soon after Kagome's younger brother Souta was born, their mother had sadly, died during childbirth. Soon it was just nine-year-old Kagome and new-born Souta trying to make it on their own. They lived on the streets for a bit, Kagome working odd jobs to get food for herself and her brother. Then one day an old woman named Kaede came across them, and in turn took them in. If it weren't for the kind old soul, Kagome was sure that she and her brother would not still be here.

It wasn't much longer after Kagome came out of her little trip to the past that they had arrived at the marina. Taking a deep breath she handed the cabby his money and walked along the planks that made up the dockyard. She counted the single docks as she went by them 'ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen AHA!' She fiddled with the paper of the ad nervously, Kagome could see the boat up ahead, and it was by no means small. Definitely not what she had been expecting, and she was more than a little intimidated by the size of the beast. She walked slowly down the planks; some creaking beneath her feet, her heart rate increased and, for a second, she considered turning back. But she needed this job and so she prepared herself for the worst and inched towards the boat.

XXX

The gulls where cawing, the sky was blue as could be with not a cloud in sight, the waves gently lapping at the side of the vessel it was so serene, in fact it was picture perfect until…

"_Goddamit_…Can't find a half decent cook anywhere these days…" Inuyasha paced back and forth on the upper deck of his ship. The people who were showing up for interviewing were nothing more than bumbling idiots. It was enough to make him go crazy, as was seen and heard by his previous outburst.

Just then the most enticing scent hit his nose 'Cookies? No one's making cookies.' He sniffed again and was practically drooling at the smell; he closed his eyes in complete ecstasy "Mmm," he moaned. Next came the scent of a young woman 'Hopefully not here to try and get the job.' He thought.

The last thing he needed was a whiny, prissy little girl to cook nasty food for him. He was; however, dying to know who had those cookies and if he could get just an insy-winsy little taste. He finally opened his eyes, and looking down at the dock saw a small woman staring at his boat and shifting from foot to tiny foot.

She was definitely pretty he'd give her that. With long black hair that had a tint of blue to it in just the right light 'Looks soft too,' he thought. High cheekbones, wide nervous blue eyes, and her delicate mouth was shaped into the most adorable 'o'. Her legs went on for miles and she had curves in all the right places. Forget the cookies, he was now drooling over the adorable girl in front of him and was currently headed down his dock.

XXX

'Oh, I hope this goes well, I don't know what I'm going to tell Kaede if she finds out I lost another job.' Just then her eyes met with the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. Standing up there, looking absolutely luscious, and staring Right. At. Her.

She gulped. 'I need to just go and get this over with. The sooner it's done, the sooner I can go home, curl up in my bed, and die.' Shaking her head, Kagome paced closer to the boat, her heart practically pounding it's way through her chest. She cleared her throat and then all of a sudden the face of a man popped over the side and a wide grin gracing his features, nearly split his face in two. Kagome 'eeped' definitely not expecting that to happen.

"Why hello there Miss. Can I help you?"

"Um, I'm not sure. Are you in need of a cook?" She asked.

"Yes we are, are you here to apply for the position?" The face asked. Kagome still had yet to see the rest of his body or learn his name.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled "Inuyasha! You've got another visitor!!"

"Shut up Miroku! I'm not deaf!" The man above them yelled back.

"Why don't you come aboard?" The man now pegged as Miroku stood and she could see him clearly now. He was dressed in a dark purple t-shirt and blue jeans. The yellow rubber gloves on his hands made Kagome giggle.

"Do you find something funny?" He turned to her and asked, raising an eyebrow, and taking her hand to help her over the side of the boat. Kagome blushed and suddenly found her feet _very_ interesting.

XXX

Inuyasha's ears were ringing. 'So, she is here to apply.' He couldn't say he was too disappointed, she was pretty and hopefully she could cook. Coming down the steps like he had all the time in the world he walked up to the girl and his first mate.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Um, yes sir, I'm here to apply for the position," at this she stuck out her hand holding the somewhat crumpled and torn piece of paper.

"Feh, whatever…just come with me." He replied. They walked back up the stairs and into the wheelhouse, sitting down in his dark blue upholstered seat he spun around to face her. Kagome was sitting on one of the little benches across from him, a little lopsided because of the equipment inside of it. She stared at him and he stared back, his eyes raking over her form, she shivered a little from the intensity of it. That's when he noticed the cookies in her hand. That oh-so-wonderful smell suddenly overwhelmed him again and his mouth started to water.

Noticing where his gaze had wondered off to, Kagome looked down at the hand that was holding the baggie of cookies. Shaking slightly, she stuck the bag out in front of her.

"Would you like one?" Blinking a couple times, as the silence had been broken, Inuyasha stared at her a bit weird and nodded his head. He stuck his hand inside the bag and pulled out one of the cookies. Taking a small bite in tasting it, he immediately thought he had died and gone to heaven. They were so _good_.

"What's your name?" he asked around a mouthful of delicious cookie.

"Kagome Higurashi." Inuyasha glanced at her and took another cookie from the bag.

"It's obvious you can cook…" taking another bite of cookie, "otherwise you wouldn't be here." A few crumbs spewing from his mouth.

"Inuyasha." He said motioning for the bag. She blushed and handed him the rest of the bag.

"Ever been on a boat before, Ms. Higurashi?" Her head jerked up.

"Yes, my father used to be a lobsterman." Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue her answer.

"I…I …I used to go out and bring the traps in with him." She stuttered a little.

"A fishing boat is a lot different than a lobster boat."

"I know, I definitely wasn't expecting such a big boat…but it won't take me long to get my sea legs…" She said glaring at him a little as he inhaled the last of the cookies.

"Will you be making more of these?" he asked.

"If you want me too." She had to tap down the little bit of hope rising in her, it wouldn't be good to get all worked up and then not get the job.

"I don't usually let women on my boat." He said looking sadly at the empty bag.

"But there was a woman down on the deck before…" she really needed this job.

He heaved a tiny sigh. He did need a cook and she did make some damn fine cookies. "Do you have any other jobs or family that you can't leave for long periods of time?"

"Well no…I just lost my last job, and my brother will be fine without me, he has someone who can look after him while I'm gone." It was really hard to keep that hope down.

"Give me your number and I'll call you when I've made my decision." He said finally. Kagome sat up a little straighter and the red came back to color her cheeks.

"I'll get you some paper and a pen." He said as he spun back around in the chair to face the controls. Inuyasha looked through all the drawers until finally he came across a small scrap of paper and a black pen. Handing it to Kagome he watched her write down her number and hand it back to him.

XXX

Back in her apartment, Kagome sat on her white sofa staring at the phone on the stand next to it, willing it to ring. She had been in that position ever since she got back thirty minutes ago, even though it felt like hours. This was her least favorite part of the job process, waiting. She had always hated waiting and she figured she always would. Still, it didn't make her feel any less anxious.

Finally deciding that she wouldn't get anything done sitting there, she got up and went to the kitchen hoping to find something edible. Opening her fridge, Kagome groaned, she might have to just order pizza. She didn't feel like cooking and there was definitely nothing in there that would cook quick and easy. She went back into her small living room and sat on the couch, well she could officially say that that was a waste of time. She had accomplished nothing, other than making herself hungrier.

Picking up the phone, she suddenly realized she couldn't call; Inuyasha might not be able to get through. 'Aw fuck,' she thought to herself. She did have an answering machine so she could always go out, even though she didn't feel like it. Deciding that him leaving a message was better than her screwing up and not getting his call, she once again grabbed her jacked, slipped on her shoes and headed out the door. There was this place just around the corner named Jason's Pizza, they had the best pepperoni pizza, _ever_.

XXX

Inuyasha paced back and forth in the living space of the boat, his crew sat around him and watched him in mild humor. He continued to grumble and pace when Sango suddenly piped up, "Why would it be so bad if there was another girl on board Inuyasha? If she can cook I say let her come."

"Plus she does have some, albeit little, experience on a boat. She's the best one yet." Miroku said as he pondered their current dilemma. It was the most rational decision and she did have a very nice set of…cookies?

"You're just saying that she's the best 'cause she was pretty." Shippou grumbled from his corner on the floor.

"I don't care if she's pretty or not! I don't like having women on my boat." He bellowed.

"I'm a woman, Inuyasha; does that mean you have a problem with me?" Sango threatened as she stood up from one of the bunks.

"That you are." Miroku said before the captain could say anything.

"Shut up, Miroku." He said turning to glare at his first mate. "No, Sango, I wasn't talking about you."

"So I don't apply when you talk about women." She was inching closer and closer to the captain with severe pain clearly written in her eyes.

"No, Sango, you're just different. Besides we don't know anything about this girl."

Sango stopped advancing on him only to ask "What are you scared of her? Not like she's a murderer or anything. I saw her and she most definitely looked like she couldn't even hurt a fly. The girl is innocent."

Inuyasha sighed. Yeah, she did look pretty innocent and that's what he was afraid of with all these men confined to the area of the boat, trouble was sure to happen.

"I'm more worried about her than you guys. She is innocent and with Kouga and Miroku hanging around…she'll probably end up being raped in the middle of the night."

"HEY!" came two indignant cries.

"I wouldn't go so low as to rape a woman and you know that Inuyasha. Besides she'll probably hop into my bed willingly." Kouga came back rather smugly.

"If we do hire her, she's not getting into anyone's bed, got it?" anyone who dared question him would surely meet their death in that moment, he was radiating possessiveness like no tomorrow. Sighing, Inuyasha finally gave in; there was no way around it. They needed a cook, and she was the best they could get.

"I'll go make the call."

XXX

The scratching of a key in the door could be heard, as Kagome threw the door to her apartment open, threw her keys in the little bowl beside the door, and locked the door behind her. She settled down on the couch with her pizza and Bouyo came to investigate. When she was finally all situated she went to open the box to get a slice and as she did, she noticed the little red blinking light on her answering machine.

'Dear Gods let it be him telling me I got the job,' she pleaded silently. Pressing the button to play the message, the robotic voice of the answering machine filled the silent room. "You have one new message. Received at one o'clock PM. Beep." Then Inuyasha's voice came on, "Hey, Ms. Higurashi, I'm calling to let you know you got the job be at the dock by ten tomorrow morning. Pack your clothes. When you come by we'll do some grocery shopping…I guess that's it…bye." Beep. Kagome's mouth nearly to the floor, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"I got the job." She said in awe. "I GOT THE JOB! " Screaming, she ran around the apartment, occasionally stopping to do a little dance, her smile so wide it nearly split her face. Her screaming had caused Bouyo to go into hiding around the corner in the bathroom. She giggled at her frightened cat, picked up the phone and called Keade's. She got the job.

**End Author's Note**:Hey everyone! This is the edited version of Chapter 1. The only changes were with grammar and punctuation.


	3. Setting Out

A Killer In Hindsight

Chapter 2:Setting Out 

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha and Company all rights solely belong to the creator. I also don't own Kitchen-Sink Cookies or any recipe's that may appear in this and later chapter's all rights are reserved totally for Tucker Shaw the writer of the book Flavor of The Week.

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

OOO-Flashback (hopefully there won't be many, I'm not particularly a fan of them.)

XXX – Break in scene or POV

"Hello?" A young male voice asked over the phone.

"Souta? It's Kagome." She was currently still bouncing around very much resembling an over excited puppy.

"KAGOME! How are you? Is everything okay? Did you get fired again?"

"Why whatever gave you the impression I may have been fired…again?" She asked laughing a little nervously.

"You only call when you've lost another job." Souta deadpanned. The girl on the other end of the phone only sweat-dropped (anime style of course) at his answer.

"Yeah, I lost another job, and I thought this one was gonna go so well too…" She sighed a little. "BUT," she came back quickly when she felt the lecture that was coming on; honestly sometimes her brother was a little too mature for his age. "I got another one, I'm working as a cook on a boat."

"A boat? But why?" his sister didn't like to even look at anything remotely boat shaped since their father died.

"Well, it was the only decent job I could find that involved me and food, plus you know how bad I am with cleaning or anything else for that matter; I don't think I could survive if I took anything less. Besides it might be kinda fun, plus it doesn't hurt that the captain of the ship is a total babe." Kagome could practically hear her brother roll his eyes at her.

After a couple seconds of silence she heard her brother ask, albeit reluctantly…"So, what kinda boat?"

"A fishing boat. It's so big, a beast I tell you." He laughed a little at her comment. "Look, just tell Keade that I'm doing fine and I won't be back for a couple months, I'll phone in two weeks. I'll send you some money when I get the chance. Okay?"

"Fine, Have fun."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too." He hoped his sister knew what she was getting into.

XXX

At nine in the morning Kagome was ready to go. She had packed enough clothes, hopefully, and was so excited she could hardly sleep. In her bags she had already packed all the spices and seasonings she would need for the trip, clothes, mostly jeans, sweats and t-shirts. 'I still don't know how long I'll be away, Inuyasha never really mentioned that.'

'Damn you.' Kagome cursed the clock to hell and back for taking so long. She supposed she could watch some T.V. before she left. Grabbing the remote from the glass coffee table in front of her, she stuffed her feet underneath the yellow throw pillow beside her and clicked the power button. Sigh. Oh the woeful life of a chef she did live.

XXX

Inuyasha was once again pacing across the floor of his quarters. He, being the captain, of course got his own room while the others slept on the bunks that lined the walls just outside his door. He sat down on the end of his bed looking out the small circular window to his right. It was 9:30 and he was bored out of his skull waiting for the clock to turn ten.

Of course being the captain of this fine vessel he had duties he needed to attend to, but he was rather distracted by thoughts of a raven-haired beauty. The half-demon really didn't think she was anything to be obsessing over so soon, they had only met for all of twenty minutes, at most. But still, last night his dreams had been filled with eyes so blue, they could put the seas to shame and legs for miles. Plus, it helped a little that she made the best damn cookies he had ever had.

Last night Sango had given him an earful about women being equal to men, and all that feminist whatnot. Of course he knew they were but the sea really was no place for a woman, it was rough and cold and incredibly harsh when it wanted to be. Sango knew how to handle all of those things, but this Kagome, she didn't have all that much experience in the area. They were doing a little more than just throwing out traps.

Glancing, again, at the clock the minute hand slowly ticking toward the 11. Inuyasha decided this was as good a time as any to make sure everything was all set to go, and then he could go and wait for the girl on the docks.

XXX

Eyes opening slowly, Kagome had never even realized she had fallen asleep. Groggily, she wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and turned to see what had awoken her. There sat Bouyo, kneading her stomach with some very sharp claws. Feeling like she had forgotten something, she turned to look at the clock. "SHIT!" The blue-eyed girl scream as she noticed the time. "10:20…Inuyasha's going to _kill_ me." She groaned. Quickly throwing the cat onto the floor, Kagome grabbed her bags and her keys, making sure to leave an extra one under the 'welcome' mat outside her door for her neighbor. 'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit' the young girl kept chanting in her head, trying to hail one of the speeding yellow cabs.

XXX

"She's late." Inuyasha grumbled to the man standing next to him.

"She's probably stuck in traffic or something." Nodding his head, his small ponytail at the nape of his neck bobbing a bit. 'Yeah that's it, she's stuck in traffic.' Miroku thought as he glanced over at the hanyou next to him. 'Sigh, and I was hoping this morning would get off to a good start. He definitely does not look happy.'

Just then a yellow cab pulled up to a screeching halt just down the dockyard. A rather frantic girl jumping out, with three large bags, throwing her money at the ruffled cabby and yelling "Keep the change!" Kagome ran down the planks of the dock 'Oh I am in _so_ much trouble' as she caught sight of a very, disgruntled and pissed off, half-demon. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I am _so_ sorry. I fell asleep watching…"

"I don't want to hear it, let's go we're already forty minutes behind schedule." The captain grunted. Miroku gave the girl an apologetic look from behind the man. Kagome just nodded her head and followed the two back down the planks and onto the boat.

All of the deck hands stopped what they were doing as they watched the trio step onto the boat. Sango smiled a little at the disheveled young woman and Kagome smiled back, happy to find a friendly _female _face on board. Hojo blushed a little when she glanced over at him and we waved, shyly, back, and Kouga looked on starry eyed at the girl. Hiten had only come to see what the fuss was about, but silently had to admit that they weren't so wrong when they said she was pretty. Jinenji stayed back in the shadows but smiled when she looked over at him.

Shippou, being well Shippou, ran up to the girl and stared at her, tugging on her sleeve. "Hi, I'm Shippou. I clean up after these slobs." Inuyasha 'feh'd' and bopped him on the head. "Owww… what'd you do that for?" He groused.

"I'm not a slob." The captain said glaring at the little kit.

"Aw you poor thing, did he hurt you?" Kagome asked squatting down to the boy's eye level. Shippou made his eyes as big and teary as he could, sticking his lower lip out in a pout, he nodded his head. "Well I'll protect you." She said as she reached into one of the big bags she was _still_ carrying, pulling out some pocky for the little boy. The kitsune grinned up at her as he mentally cheered 'Yes! Someone else to spoil me.'

"Stop it." The silver haired captain griped. "Sango does that enough already." Kagome only turned and blinked at him.

"But he's just a boy, there's no need for you to go around clonking him on the head." She frowned and Inuyasha decided mentally that it was better when she smiled, especially since right now she looked like she was going to beat him. A "Feh" left his mouth in a small puff of air.

Deciding it was time to clear the air, Miroku smiled and offered to take one of her bags. Which she gladly handed off to him. The captain glared at the pervert's rather cheeky smile and grabbed one of the other bags from the young woman.

Miroku turned to the girl "Well, let's go get you situated, and then we can introduce everybody, what do you say?"

"Alright." She was still a little miffed about the hanyou being so rude to little Shippou. The trio turned their attentions back to the task at hand, destination, the galley.

XXX

However, on top…

"Man did you see the legs on that girl? She was gorgeous." Kouga gushed as he swooned a little against the side of the boat.

"She was rather pretty." Jinenji added from where he stood. Comments went on back and forth between the guys as Shippou and Sango stood next to each other watching them talk about their new cook.

"I like her." Shippou suddenly piped up, staring up at the taller girl next to him.

"I like her too." Sango said as she smiled down at the little red headed kitsune.

XXX

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder…"What the hell have you got in these bags anyway?"

"They are a bit heavy." Miroku agreed with his captain.

"Well, clothes, and some spices. There's a blanket in one of them, I used to bring it with me all the time when I went out with my dad." Kagome suddenly found her feet very interesting yet again. "How long are we going to be gone anyway?"

"Probably four or five months, we'll dock every two weeks or so to stock up on supplies. Why?" Inuyasha didn't know that spices weighed so much.

"Oh no reason. I'll have to call my brother though and tell him. And my neighbor's, they're taking care of my cat while I'm gone."

"You have a cat?" Miroku asked, trying to make conversation with the girl.

"Yeah, Bouyo. He's a tabby I rescued him from the local animal shelter. Fattest cat in the world, I swear." Miroku laughed a little, turning back he whispered, "Inuyasha's not much of a cat person." Said half-demon's ear twitched back in their direction and Kagome suddenly had the urge to touch them. Blushing, she quickly banished the thought.

"It's not much, but here's home for the next couple months." Miroku said as he gestured to the small kitchen to the right of them at the bottom of the stairs and the bunks to the left.

Inuyasha grunted and set her bag down by one of the bunks, Miroku following his actions. Kagome took the few steps over to them and did the same, looking around. From what she could see there were nine bunks, three from floor to ceiling, six on the right wall and another three on the left. They were a bit smaller than a twin bed with maroonish colored curtains hanging on each. Pulling back the said curtain, she peeked in and saw the bed already made with a pillow, and blankets and sheets the same color as the curtain. Underneath was a drawer where some clothes already resided; a small spot had been made for her. Further down the hall she saw a door, and Miroku noticing her stare, "That's where Inuyasha sleeps."

Left of the bunks was a small closet and three rows of drawers across and down, most of them had been labeled with the crew members names, one drawer closest to the cots, in the middle, had her name on it.

"You can put your clothes in here later." Inuyasha groused, stepping over the pile of bags he motioned for her to follow, "Come on I'll give you the grand tour, as I guess you've figured out, you'll be sleeping on that bunk on the bottom. " Kagome nodded for him to continue.

They were now facing in the direction of the tiny kitchen and on their right were the steps that would lead back up to the deck. "On the left is where we eat," and indeed there was a rectangular table with a booth seat that wrapped around one side and the entire width of the table. Above it where some cupboards and a couple drawers.

Motioning further on the left to a door, Inuyasha continued with his tour "That's the bathroom. Only ten minutes in the shower at a time, not like we have an abundance of hot water here. To your right is the pantry, it's kinda empty right now but we're going shopping later." The young girl nodded when the captain looked back at her, Miroku right behind her. "Walking a little bit farther in we have the kitchen, as you can see it's not very big."

Indeed it was not very big, in fact it only consisted of a small counterspace in an L shape before there was the wall, with a refrigerator built into it so as not to take up too much space, next to the fridge was a microwave (also built into the wall) and another pantry and then the wall that currently came up beside them. Kagome walked around the small ledge of counter that was sticking out and underneath was the oven, the stovetop set into the counter above it. Then on the longer space of counter was a small sink, and underneath that were some cupboards.

'This will do. Not exactly top of the line, but it's kinda nice…hey beggars can't be chooser's, right?' Kagome thought with a small smile, nodding her head. The linoleum on the floor was a little tacky but the stained oak walls of the entire boat gave it a rustic, if not homey, kind of feel.

"Come on, there's still a some more." Miroku said, smiling as he watched the girl running her fingers over the counter top and opening up the fridge to explore a little more. Kagome popped back out of the fridge so fast that for a second the boy's thought she might have hurt herself. Smiling sheepishly with her cheeks tinged a little red; Kagome came out from behind the counter space to follow the men.

There was a small walkway that opened up to a larger kind of living area. Complete with couch, the same dark blue carpeting as the rest of the boat, and a sort of coffee table thing in the middle. There were pictures hung on the walls of the various crewmembers, with fish they had caught, or some family member. Walking around the small room she notice the coffee table bolted to the floor, as was the couch. A couple porthole windows's lined the back wall where the couch was set.

"It's…. nice." Kagome said as she plopped herself onto said couch. It wasn't so bad a little lumpy and the pukey green color didn't really do anything for her, but it was still nice. Miroku winked at the girl saying, "You'll learn to call it home soon enough."

Inuyasha had been leaning back on the wall the entire time, watching the girl as she explored their little abode. When Miroku spoke up he smirked a little. It definitely wasn't much but he loved it. It was his baby. Then Kagome asked something he really didn't expect to hear.

"What's her name?" referring to the boat. Our silver-haired captain was startled out of his reverie. Looking at the girl a little funny he replied, "Tetsusaiga. I inherited her from my dad, she's been in the family for generations."

"You can really see all the hard work you've put into this." Silently referring to how nicely the vessel had been put together. It really was quite a piece of art. Even if the inside wasn't the prettiest or the outside for that matter. You could tell she was strong and she had faired quite a few storms in her day. Miroku saw the intense stares the two were giving each other and decided he ought to step in.

"Alright let's get you upstairs and introduced to everybody post haste." He said stepping into their line of vision and smiling widely. Kagome blinked a couple times and stood up. Inuyasha quickly averted his gaze to the clock on the wall behind the girl.

"No time Miroku. We're going to have to do it later. Me and the wench have some shopping to do. It's already twelve."

"Fine, if you must." Miroku hung his head as though he was disappointed when really he was trying to hide his ever-growing smile. 'Poor Miroku he looks so sad…. wait…did he just call me a wench?' Kagome thought angrily, trying to glare at the captain around Miroku.

"You take that back you pig! My name is Kagome…Ka-go-me! You got it?!" 'Darned gorgeous hanyou's with their little doggy ear's and pretty hair,' Kagome sulked.

"Feh, whatever let's just get going." Darned hanyou said as he reached around Miroku to grab the girl, storming up the steps to the deck dragging her behind him.

When Miroku was finally alone, he couldn't help it, he just started laughing, rather hysterically mind you. 'There's so much sexual tension between those two and they don't even know it!' He thought. And that was exactly how Sango found him a couple minutes later, on the floor giggling…like a maniac.

XXX

"Have you got a list?" the half-demon asked Kagome as he continued to drag her down the waterfront.

"Um, no not really. I didn't know how much space I would have to store food so I didn't really think of making one. But I do have a couple things in mind." Quite honestly the man's barbaric nature was starting to piss her off, and she was out of breath. He walked too damn fast.

"Fine. Whatever. Would ya hurry it up already?" The girl was slowing him down. They had a schedule to keep.

XXX

Barely making it to the store alive, a very disheveled Kagome walked through the doors of the local market. The air-conditioning had goose bumps all up her arms in a matter of seconds. Walking through the store she picked up what she thought she might need and what she thought she had room for in her new cooking space.

'Flour, sugar, baking soda, butter, eggs, bacon, some rhubarb, tea bags, green peppers, carrots, old fashioned oats, maple syrup, raisins, olive oil, onions, garlic, cheese, chicken stock, hmmm…what else do I need?' Kagome ticked off the things in her head and Inuyasha looked on a little strangely thinking, 'What the hell? What's she going to do with sweetened condensed milk? Well chocolate chips…at least there's something I know I'll like…. more tomato's…balsamic vinegar? Figs? What's this girl trying to do…kill us?' And instead of keeping the rest to himself Inuyasha decided it was about time to set things straight.

"Uh, what exactly are you gonna make with artichoke hearts? Or what are those things?"

"They're called leeks Inuyasha, and I plan on cooking them. You'll see."

"But there's no real meat. We are carnivores, we need meat to survive. Besides, we're going to be gone for two weeks before we dock in port, we can't just live off of vegetables the entire time."

"Inuyasha, I am the cook here. I may have forgot to mention, I'm a bit of a health freak but I know what I'm doing. Don't worry so much. Now where was I? Oh yes heavy cream, pears, blackberry jelly, some ladyfingers…" Inuysha blanched at the fingers. "No Inuyasha, they're not _real_ fingers." Kagome said, knowing the question that was coming.

"Are you done yet?" The half-demon captain asked her; to tell the truth he was a little anxious to get back to his boat.

"Yep, that should be about it, all we need to do now is check out."

"_Finally_." Inuyasha huffed.

XXX

They had finally made it back to the boat and Miroku and the others were now helping Kagome and the grouchy captain put away some of the groceries. It had taken quite a while to get all the bags down in the living area. And then there was the problem of where they were going to put all of it. As it was, they had just finished putting the last of the things into the fridge and the raven-haired girl was sorting through her spices, categorizing them alphabetically. Inuyasha sat on the couch further down in, and the other's sat around him in folding chairs, on the floor, or on the couch with him, watching as Kagome went through the task of putting away all of her spices in alphabetical order.

The introductions having already been made, and the new cook now knowing everyone's names Kouga decided it was time to take action. He was going to claim his woman. Smiling rather smugly he walked up to the counter and popped his head over the side. Kagome was sitting on the linoleum floor storing some of the sugar for later on. She 'eep'd' in surprise when she looked up only to come face to face with one very roguish wolf demon.

"Uh, hello Kouga. Can I help you?" She asked as he stared at her longingly.

"I think so Kagome, I think so." He smiled again, this time one of his fangs peeking out over his lip. The girl on the floor shivered a little at the intensity of his gaze. The captain now noticing Kouga hitting on the new cook already, figured he should put an immediate stop to it right away. Walking over, he pulled the wolf back by his collar.

"And just what do you think you're doing wolf?" Inuyasha growled at him, looking rather feral.

"Just talking to MY woman."

The captain quirked an eyebrow. "_Your_ woman?"

"Excuse me?" A raven-haired head popped over the side of the counter, glaring at Kouga.

"That's right, I've decided to give you the pleasure of being MY woman." The wolf just didn't know when to quit.

"I don't think so." Kagome said as she stood to her full height of five feet three inches. "I am no one's _woman_." She spit the word out like it was vile.

"Yes you are. You're my woman."

"Didn't you just hear her you stupid wolf? She said she ain't your woman. So back off." Inuyasha was starting to get a little frustrated. Here Kouga was, thinking he could just lay claim to Kagome like she was his property.

The rest of the group sat by watching silently in amusement as Kouga continued to claim Kagome as his woman, Kagome continuing to refuse, and Inuyasha just getting plain old pissed off. The fun was just beginning.

XXX

A couple hours later around four o' clock, even though the group was two hours behind schedule they set off. Watching the other's pull in the ropes and push off from the dock, Kagome sat on the upper level deck of the vessel in something of a daze. Two cups of hot cocoa in her hands she dared to venture inside the wheelhouse. There sat Inuyasha in all his glory, white hair pulled back low at the nape of his neck, black sweatshirt sadly covering his muscular figure, blue jeans, and oddly enough, bare foot.

She sat beside him in a chair and silently handed him his steaming cup of cocoa. Earlier she had called her brother and told him how long she would be gone. He had been a little upset at not having gotten to see her before she left but there was nothing she could do about it now. As she sat there, she thought about what she would make for dinner and quietly studied the captain's profile out of the corner of her eye. He really was one odd individual.

He had been giving orders over the PA when Kagome had come in with a mug of cocoa. He really hadn't expected to hire a woman to cook. But they had no choice in the matter now. He was going to have to trust her to cook some half-decent meals even if there was no real meat. She handed him the cocoa and sat down in the dark blue leather chair next to him. He watched as she twisted from side to side in the spinning chair. 

He studied her out of his peripheral vision. She didn't wear any make-up, which was nice. She had on a yellow cotton long sleeve shirt that really brought out the blue in her eyes and made her skin practically glow, it almost clung to her like a second skin and it was thin enough that he could tell she was wearing a red bra underneath. He smirked, red had always been his favorite color. Her jeans were a little baggy with holes torn in the knees but she did look really good. All the way from her black and hot pink sneakers to her ponytail. He could definitely see why Kouga would want to claim her. Not to mention the way she smelled, like jasmine, vanilla, and those fantastic cookies she had brought him yesterday. It was quite enticing. He couldn't wait for the adventure to begin.


	4. Rough Waters Ahead

A Killer In Hindsight

Chapter 3: Rough Waters Ahead

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha and Company. I also don't own any recipe's that may appear in the future contents of this story.

**Update:** Mostly spelling and grammar revisions, I did cut out an entire page of writing, but I think it's better this way.

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

OOO – Flashback

XXX – Break in scene or POV

Kagome had ended up sleeping on the bunk beneath Sango and across from Miroku. She never knew one man could be so perverted. The cook and the captain had gotten a little bit closer forming something akin to a friendship over the week. Kagome often sat up in the control room with the captain, as he didn't have many visitors either, bringing along with her a cup of her famous homemade cocoa.

She babied Shippou like he had never been babied before, and the young kit had no objections, the crew often overlooked someone as small as he was. Inuyasha had been somewhat resistant to her coddling but soon got over it in favor of another batch of her Kitchen Sink Cookies.

Presently, Kagome was bustling around in the kitchen making her whipped hot chocolate to bring up to Inuyasha while Shippou sat next to her on the counter eating a piece of soda bread. They had been at sea for a week looking for a place to cast their nets.

The young girl took a small saucepan from out of one of the cupboards slowly warming up one cup of milk until it was just steaming. She added one third-cup sugar, two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a teensy pinch of salt. She stirred the mixture with a wire whisk until it was dissolved and smooth.

She added some broken up squares of semisweet baking chocolate and stirred until it was all evenly melted. Kagome removed the pan from the heat to let it cool slightly. Pouring one cup of heavy cream into a medium bowl the raven-haired girl beat it with her electric mixer until the cream was stiff.

Carefully, she folded the whipped cream into the chocolate, grabbed two of the biggest mugs they had on board, poured the hot chocolate and grabbed two spoons.

"Hey kiddo you want to go ask the others what they want for lunch?" Around a mouth full of soda bread the kitsune boy answered "sure" rushing up the stairs ahead of her. 'He's just so darn cute.' Kagome thought to herself as she followed after the hyper kitsune at a more sedate pace.

XXX

"I brought you some hot cocoa."

Sitting down in her self-appointed chair, Inuyasha in his spinney chair behind the wheel, and Kagome next to him behind a bunch of blinking lights and buttons. They each sipped their cocoa; Kagome swiveled from side to side in her chair, staring at the captain over her large mug. Inuyasha continued to stare out the front window and set his mug down on the console.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"Wrong with what?" Inuyasha asked slightly startled, having somewhat forgotten the girl was even there. Turning to her and giving her his full attention he watched as she set down her own mug.

"The cocoa, you've barely touched it. If it's too cold I can go warm it up." It was just fine even if it was a bit cold, that was Kagome for you always trying to make sure everyone was satisfied. But to be honest he had other things on his mind besides the cooling drink in his hand.

"No, it's good." He answered as he picked at a tear in the blue leather of his seat; he'd have to fix that later. Kagome sensing something wrong with her newly found friend gazed at him with concern.

"What's on your mind?" she asked. Before the captain could even think of a response a soaking orange ball of fur hurled himself through the door, apparently it had started raining rather hard outside, startling the hanyou and the girl.

"They all want soup." He said with a sneeze. Kagome nodded her head and grabbed her mug as she stood up. The half-demon's dilemma currently placed at the back of her mind, she'd question him about it later.

"Do you want me to heat that up?" she asked turning to said half-demon.

"No, it's fine. Go get started on lunch." With a small smile Kagome accepted his dismissal, scooped up the little kit, and made her way out into the rain.

Inuyasha stood up and watched her go from the back window, noting that his crew was double checking everything to make sure it was safely strapped down, he also noticed they had to tie themselves down just so they wouldn't get tossed overboard.

XXX

Down in the kitchen Kagome started taking things out of the refrigerator and placing them on the counter. Shippou watched her as he picked up the dirty laundry lying around the bunks, and piling them together to be washed later.

"Hey Kagome?" he asked as the he watched her take out a large soup pot and saucepan from a cupboard.

"Yeah sweetie, what is it?" Kagome looked over at him as he dropped a couple pairs of the boy's dirty boxers on the growing pile. The little demon put on the most innocent face he could muster, hoping she wouldn't notice the mischief brewing behind his eyes.

"Do you like Inuyasha?" Much to his delight she was too busy stuttering to notice.

"Shippou, honey, it's very…" trying to choose the right word she paused for a second before continuing, "it's very…complicated. It's hard to explain Shippou." 'Especially when you're so young, and I barely even know myself.' She thought.

"But I think he likes you." His big eyes looking over at her. "I think you guys should go out!" He suddenly exclaimed trying to seem as childish and innocent as he could.

"Uh, Shippou dear…we're on a boat…in the middle of the Pacific…there's nowhere _to_ go on a date even if we wanted to." Did Inuyasha really like her? Half the time he barely even noticed she was there, unless Kouga said something, or Miroku groped her, or they were alone in the control center. This was very confusing. For right now all she could hope for was they were, at the very least, friends. '_Friends_.' She shivered at the word, 'if only it was more.'

"There's always Inuyasha's room. He never lets anybody go in there so you'd have complete privacy. Besides whenever my parents wanted to spend time together they always went in their room." God he was _so_ good. She didn't suspect a thing.

Kagome sputtered a little, her eyes going wide as saucers. Inuyasha and her in _his_ room…_as if_. "Shippou your parents were …mated…and Inuyasha and I barely even know each other. A week isn't even close to enough time to know somebody enough to well…spend time…alone…in a bedroom." Although it would be very nice if she could spend some more time alone with him, the afternoons spent in the wheelhouse just never seemed to last long enough.

Of course those thoughts took the young cook down a very different path, soon innocent thoughts of friendship turned to well…time alone in the captains room. What she was picturing was definitely _not "_just friend's" material. Kagome stopped what she was doing for all of two seconds at the thought of getting to "know" Inuyasha in his bedroom.

Blushing, she returned to working on lunch. Seeing that he wasn't going to get much more out of the cook, Shippou returned to cleaning the living area, when he offered a quick "see ya" to Kagome and went up on deck to help out.

After Shippou left, she breathed a sigh of relief and continued chopping the veggies for her soup. After a few minutes, and several carrots later Kagome watched as Sango and Hojo came down for a break. Soaked clear through to their knickers even with their slickers on they very happily accepted a steaming cup of coffee from the young girl.

After about fifteen minutes of chatting with the two-crew members, Inuyasha came down to get a cup of java himself after having finished his cocoa. He stuck around to join in their conversation. Sango and Hojo had been talking to Kagome about the mechanics of the finishing industry.

Each boat was to catch a certain quota no more no less; if they caught over their number they would find themselves with a hefty fine. Apparently it all came down to tracking the schools of fish, once they found a decent sized school they would cast their nets and wait. Once the fish were on board they would toss the fish into the hold down below, commonly referred to as the ice room, and when it was full they would jog to an offshore off-loader.

After about fifteen more minutes of talking with the three they had to get back to their stations and Kagome turned back to her soup, removing the bay leaves from the top, she added the leeks and the sage from her herbs under the cupboard. The heavenly scent that wafted from the pot could be smelt all the way up on deck and soon a very hungry group of crewmates came barreling down the stairs for lunch. And the cook gladly spooned out heaping helpings for everyone.

"What is this?" Hiten between rather large spoonfuls of lunch.

"I call it my no-chicken chicken soup." She said smiling largely at their confused faces. " I used to be a personal chef for a married couple, they were vegetarians." A few nods and everyone was digging back into the heavenly soup.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asked not seeing the brash silver-haired man anywhere at the large table.

"He's still in the wheelhouse." Shippou said between inhales.

"Oh I guess I'll go take him a bowl." Knowing glances were passed between the friends as their newest companion got up to get another bowl. Grabbing some spoons and her own bowl of soup the raven-haired cook made it up to the control room, having almost slipped a few times from the wet of the rain. The wind had picked up quite a bit since she had last surfaced.

When the girl burst through the door to the small room thanks to a particularly strong gust of wind, she gasped a little at the condition it was in. There were papers everywhere, covering the dark blue carpet and the entire control panel. Sweeping a few pages off of her seat, Kagome handed the grumpy hanyou his bowl of soup.

XXX

The captain was often grumpy, but this time he had a very valid reason for being so. It seemed there was a big storm comin' in and it would be a rough night and probably most of tomorrow. He never really did care for big storms. He stared at the weather report in front of him confirming his fears. He heard Kagome come in, her soup really did smell good and he was more than happy to take one of the bowls off of her hands.

"Is something wrong?" he heard her ask so quietly that had he not had demonic hearing he was sure he would have missed it all together.

"There's a storm comin' in from the north, it's gonna be awful cold tonight."

To say she was a little scared would be an understatement. This would be her first storm on Inuyasha's boat. She knew how rough the sea's could be having loved listening to her father tell tales of his time's during some of the harsher storms when she was little. Inuyasha having scented her nervousness turned to look at her. She was sipping her soup and looking a little pale in the face.

"Don't worry my boat's handled some pretty big storms, this should be a piece of cake. You just stay down in the living quarters until it's over okay?" he said seeking to reassure her.

She nodded her head, she wasn't sure she could trust her voice at the moment. The steady reassurance in his voice made her feel a little bit better. Hearing his concern made her think back to her conversation earlier with Shippou. Could the kit really be right? Did Inuyasha really like her? Kagome shook her head a bit trying to clear her thoughts, no; she was getting ahead of herself again. But it was nice to think about.

"Chocolate?" she finally asked, smiling as she stared out the front windows. The captain chuckled and nodded his head.

"Yeah, chocolate." He had been watching Kagome out of the corner of his eye. Her thought process truly amazed him sometimes. One minute she was worried and nervous the next she was smiling. The girl really was a puzzle, one he might just want to solve.

He liked spending his lunches with her. It often went something like she would make the lunch, the others would go down and eat and she would bring some up to him, and sit with him while they ate. Usually it was in silence, sometimes witty banter and other times telling stories about their families and where they grew up, or embarrassing moments. One time they even talked about past ex's and the heartache they had caused.

The amber-eyed captain liked it best when they would sit in comfortable silence. She seemed to be the only person he could do that with. Plus the fact that he could close his eyes and bask in her scent, and she never even noticed. Inuyasha smiled a little to himself as he breathed in her scent some more.

"What are you smilin' about over there?" he ventured as he took another sip of her delicious soup.

"What? Oh. I was just thinking about something Shippou said to me earlier today. That boy is just too adorable." At this she smiled fondly.

"So?"

"So what?" she turned to him quizzically as he continued to peek out at her from the corner of his eye.

"So, what did the runt say this time that was so cute?" Sometimes she was a little slow on the up and up, he thought as he smirked at her little blush.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as it all clicked into place "He said something about you and I going on a "date" in your bedroom." She tried to play it off as no big deal but the heat in her cheeks gave her away.

"What's so wrong with that?" He asked smirking and turning to her. Oh how he loved flustering their little cook. Kagome's head whipped around to face him and for a moment he was afraid she might of hurt herself but when the blush spread from the apples of her cheeks to her ears and down her neck, he couldn't help the twinkle of amusement in his eye.

"Excuse me?" she asked hoping she may have heard wrong. She was doing a rather damn good impression of a cherry tomato at the moment if she did say so herself.

"You're pretty, in a weird kinda way." He said more to himself than the girl in front of him, scratching his chin lightly.

"Gee, thanks." She came back sarcastically.

"Plus, I guess you're an okay cook, I mean, I have had better." Now he had just gone too far. No one insulted Kagome Higurashi's cooking and got away with it. _No one_. Sensing the death of his manhood from the girl less then two feet away from him Inuyasha tried to back track.

"You know I was just kidding…right?" He said. The silver-haired half demon swore he saw hell burning in her eyes. " You know I'm just playin' with ya…. You make the best food I've ever had the pleasure of eating. Honest." Head bowed he blushed a little.

That was more than she expected from him. Yes, he Inuyasha Taisho just complimented her, but the man was emotionally constipated at least when it came to admitting them out loud. Kagome looked at Inuyasha surprised.

"You really think that?" Watching as he nodded his head just a little too embarrassed to raise it, Kagome smiled softly. "Thanks."

XXX

"What do you think they're doing up there?" Sango asked as she stared up at the ceiling. God, she was stuffed. Her toes were curling in her boots, and she definitely felt she could go for a nap right about now. After a hot meal like that and being all toasty warm like she was, she really didn't feel like going back out into the cold rain. The young woman chanced a glance around the table, all of her crewmates staring upwards and boring holes into their ceiling. They were all rather enthralled with the goings on of the upstairs.

"I don't know." Miroku said as he continued to stare above him as though he could see right through the sheet rock and metal and to the two occupants up in the control room. The navy blue-eyed man slowly inched his hand in the wrong direction. Sango having known from years of experience sensed the direction in which the offending appendage was heading and promptly slammed said appendages' owner's face into the tabletop. Everyone switched gazes from the ceiling to the two in front of them.

"Whatever." Kouga said as he sulked. He had been hoping to get the girl, but it seemed that she had taken some kind of interest in the reclusive half-demon, that didn't mean he was going to stop trying though. The wolf demon could still state a claim now and then, just to piss off the captain

"Well we should probably be getting back to work." Hojo said after noticing the sulking ookami. He stood up and headed for the stairs the others doing the same and following after him. Little did they all know about the fierce storm brewing just miles away from them. Sure they had all been through rough seas before but nothing like what was headed straight for them.

_Notes on the chapter: _

-I had no idea that I had disabled anonymous reviews, thankfully, someone pointed it out to me. You may now post anonymous reviews, although, I would appreciated it if you left some way for me to e-mail/contact you, I like to personally thank all of my reviewers.

-If any of you want any of the recipe's that have appeared or appear in future chapters give me your e-mail and I'll get them to you.

Next up on A Killer In Hindsight: **All Washed Up! **


	5. All Washed Up

**A Killer In Hindsight**

Chapter 4: All Washed Up

"Speech"

Thoughts'

OOO-flashback

XXX-change in scene or pov

While they had been talking the rain had let up some. The light pitter-patter of the drops hitting the windows had entranced the duo some time ago and they sat, content, to just watch the rain in silence. However, their little Kodak moment had sadly been brought to an end when Shippou came barreling through the door and into the room, mouth going a mile a minute. Kagome and Inuyasha both jumped at the sudden intrusion and spun around to watch the kitsune continue to rapidly bounce around the small room.

"Shippou, did you get into the fluff jar again?" Kagome frowned at him. Trying to look as innocent as a little kit could with marshmallow fluff smeared all around his mouth, he slowly shook his head no'. "Shippou, what have I told you about lying?"

"It's bad." He said kicking at some of the papers on the floor. The captain just sat back and watched mildly amused at what was transpiring before him.

"That's right. And what do we do to bad little kitsune's who lie?" Shippou swallowed hard. Inuyasha was doing a small happy dance in his head. Finally, the kid got busted instead of him. After a couple moments of silence Kagome finally broke out in a rather large, rather maniacal grin.

"We tickle them!" She giggled as she lunged for the smaller demon. A look of absolute horror broke across his face as he tried to make a run for it.

"No Kagome! I promise I won't lie anymore!" the kit screamed as she backed him into a corner.

"Nu uh, you're not gonna get out of it that easily." She hooked her fingers and started tickling his sides. The silver-haired captain looked on in utter disbelief. How come the kid got tickled when he did something bad but he, the _captain_ of the boat, got chewed out, by the lowly _cook_ no less. It was just _wrong_.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Shippou screamed through a fit of giggles. Being an older sister Kagome was a master tickler.

"Come on let's go get you cleaned up and start supper." The raven-haired girl said as she led the small boy out of the room. Inuyasha watched them go She'd make a good mother someday.' Shaking his head he decided not to dwell on that thought too much.

XXX

Only a couple minutes after Kagome and Shippou had taken cover in the living quarters the heavens opened up and it poured buckets. The newest crewmember couldn't help but feel bad for everyone up on deck. After getting rid of Shippou's marshmallow beard, they made their way into the small living room, where Kagome noticed Jinenji sitting on the couch going through a small gray metal box.

"Hi!" she beamed. He looked up, startled for a second, then his face melted into a handsome smile.

"Hello." He said softly as he placed the papers in his hand back into the box. Truth be told they hadn't seen each other much over the past week. Jinenji helped out with odd jobs on deck and Kagome spent most of her time in the kitchen. The only time she really saw him was right before bed and sometimes when she got up early in the morning.

"What have you got there?" She asked gesturing towards the box in his hands.

"Oh, it's nothing, just some pictures of home." He blushed a little; not many of the people on board paid much attention to him.

"Can I see?" Nodding his head, Kagome sat down, as Shippou ran around the room in circles screaming some nonsense about turtles coming to eat him. The first picture he showed was of himself and a young woman. "Who's the girl?" she asked looking up at him.

"My wife." The doctor said as he touched one of the pictures and gazed upon it softly. It was of himself and his wife standing in front of dock thirteen where Tetsusaiga was depicted in the background.

"She's very beautiful." Kagome whispered, smiling at him. "What's her name?"

"Maya. We're expecting our first child a month after my return."

"Congratulations!" the blue-eyed girl said, genuinely happy for him. He was a good man, and would make a fantastic father someday.

"I was going to make some hot-buttered, maple-baked oatmeal for dinner. Would you like to come help?" Shippou tugged and pulled on her arm, making her bob slightly. He still had a lot of sugar in his system. She couldn't wait till he came down from his sugar high and went to sleep. Yes, she cared about the little monster a great deal but he sure could be a handful sometimes.

"I'd like that." Jinenji said as he tucked his small box away in one of the hidden drawers under the couch.

XXX

The rain was coming down hard outside and the crew had to yell at the top of their lungs. Their slickers were useless by now, the waves crashing over the boat in combination with the sheets of rain coming down, made it near impossible to stay even the littlest bit dry.

Inuyasha watched from above in his cozy little control room, and he frowned a little. This was going to be a hard one, probably one of the worst any of them had ever faced. No matter what he said to Kagome, this most definitely wasn't going to be a piece of chocolate cake. And from below Sango looked across the boat to Miroku watching him struggle with his own line. At the same time he looked back at her and they both thought the same thing This is bad.'

XXX

Shippou had fallen asleep a while ago and Jinenji had kindly placed the boy in his bunk for Kagome. The boat rocked hard, back and forth, the girl tripping a little at the rough movements. I hope Inuyasha's right, and everyone is alright up there.' She thought as another wave caught the side of the boat, throwing Kagome back against the wall. She moaned a little, "Piece of cake my ass". Venomous thoughts crossed her mind as she was thrown back across to the counter, that little liar'.

XXX

It was two hours now into the storm and things had only gone from bad to worse. The storm having gotten so horrible that everyone on deck had to go down under, all soaked to their very bones. Inuyasha, being captain and all, had remained up above in the control room. There wasn't much he could do but hope that they would push through the storm unharmed. The seas were harsh, the waves now cresting and crashing down upon the boat.

XXX

Kagome had been more than happy to have everyone down in the living quarters. She had been worried when the Tetsusiaga was practically tipping on its side from the force. She suffered her own bumps and bruises, having been thrown across the cabin several times. She now sported a cut on her left cheek, a rather large bruise on her back, and a few more blue and purple spots adorned her arms.

As she looked around the room she noticed that everyone was faring about the same. Miroku and Sango were sitting in a corner of the living room, Miroku was sporting quite the shiner and a cut across his nose, and Sango was holding a cloth tightly against the large gash across her arm that she had received for grappling with one of the hooks on deck.

Jinenji, having taken up residence huddled against the couch, had a bump the size of a golf ball on his forehead but other than that looking a bit better than the others. Kouga, his back against the counter and his knees locked to hold his feet against the adjacent wall in the "hallway", held the arm of his dislocated shoulder and other than a small cut on his cheek looked okay. Hiten was curled up in the fetal position behind Jinenji, he never really had liked storms.

Hojo huddled against the other side of the couch holding on for dear life, still soaking for he hadn't changed his clothes like the others, only had a couple bruises but looked ready to piss himself. And Shippou the poor kit, having been thrown from his bunk earlier was huddled against her as she lay underneath the bolted down coffee table. He only suffered a rather sore arm and nice bump on his head too.

Kagome had been taking constant glances at the door waiting for Inuyasha to come running down the steps. Everyone had noticed her nervous glances to the door; cast their own worried glances around the room to each other. It would be hard for him to stay up there, no doubt the pressure from the wind would break the windows soon, even though they had been designed to withhold strong storms, this was different. This was the real deal, a hurricane at its finest.

Miroku had been in hurricanes before, they all had, with the exception of Kagome of course, but none of them had ever encountered any this strong. They could only hope that Inuyasha would know what to do.

XXX

It was official he was scared shitless. He, Inuyasha Taisho, was just about ready to piss…everywhere. He had never seen a storm like this before. The report hadn't even come close to this. "FUCK."

He reached up on top of the window to grab the steal shutters used to keep the glass from entering the cabin and killing anybody, namely him. Next, he took a hammer and some nails from the bench opposite the controls counter, and a couple pieces of plywood from underneath said module. He hammered the boards into place as best he could; this was the only way to keep the room safe. He figured that now he would have to go down under the deck, into the living space with everyone else, there was no way that he could do anything in this storm.

Turning off the engines and taking the key from the ignition, Inuyasha grabbed a life jacket and a long piece of rope. He tied one end of the rope around his waist, and slipped the life jacket over his head. He stepped outside the door and very nearly got blown back into the room. Using one hand to shield his face and the small door for protection, he had to use every ounce of his demon strength to make it over to the railing. After he had let go of the door, to get to said railing it flew back into place so hard that it splintered, but didn't break.

The rain was coming down in literal buckets, and the half demon was having a hard time just seeing his own hand in front of his face. Taking the other end of his rope he tied it around the railing at the stairs, Inuyasha kept low to the ground as he slowly descended the stairs. Anything that was flush with the ground, wouldn't be swept away by the hurricane and by keeping low, he hoped to avoid that situation. Finally making it down and underneath the stairs, he slowly inched his way over to the door, leading to the inside. About halfway there, he ran out of rope, Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck!' he thought angrily.

Undoing the knot around his waist, the young captain decided to chance making it to the door, rather than being left there with no shelter. He kept himself flush against the wall, and crept towards the door. Just as he reached the handle, he flung the door open, raced inside and quickly slammed the door shut again.

XXX

Everyone in the small room looked up, having heard the door upstairs slam. The group prayed that the storm hadn't been the one to open it, it would mean a major leak for them, and the last thing they needed was for their living quarters to be flooded. In the next few moments, a series of events happened.

Inuyasha came down through the small opening in the ceiling of the room, and practically tumbled down the stairs. Having noticed his tumble Kagome dashed out from her hiding spot, jumped over Kouga's legs, and ran to his aid. The captain looked up at the worried girl rushing at him and tried to stand, when another enormous wave hit the old boat. Inuyasha slammed back into the stairs behind him and their cook found a nice cozy spot against his very soaked chest. It was an awkward moment for both, until the couple got thrown into the opposite wall, and just barely missed the bathroom door.

Sliding down to come to a rest on the floor, Inuyasha now found himself on top of the girl, as he dripped rain water all over her, soaking the white tank she was wearing just enough that you could see the lacy bra underneath. And for the few moments Kagome was in shock lying underneath him, and he was on top of her, his white hair creating something of a curtain around them, both forgot just for a few seconds that there was a hurricane raging on outside of the boat, and that all of their friends were watching with die-hard interest at what would happen next. Then another wave crashed, and they both went rolling into Kouga's legs, finally coming back down to reality.

"Oomph" was heard from Kouga, when both went rolling into his legs. Inuyasha looked up, apologized to the wolf demon, and helped Kagome to her feet. Her face flaming scarlet from embarrassment. She chanced a glance at Inuyasha, who was looking rather fierce, and mighty fine at the moment if she did say so herself.

But there was a reason for his fierce look. "Why haven't you boarded up the windows yet?" He asked as he glared at the occupants of the room. They all knew the procedure, yet none of them were following it, other than keeping close to the floor and against solid objects.

Striding over to the wall with the portholes, the young captain grabbed some circular boards from one of the droors underneath the couch. Taking out a hammer and nails once again, he set about making the room safer for everyone in it. When he was finished, he found a spot next to Kouga, in the same position, just hoping they could wait it out.

Kagome resumed her position under the table with Shippou, and stared across the small space that separated her from a certain hanyou. What had just happened? Honestly, was it some kind of breakthrough or something?' She could only wonder as she cast her gaze around the small space. All that was left to do now was wait for this stupid storm to be over and done with and then maybe she could talk to him.

Unfortunately for all occupants of the Tetsusaiga, Mother Nature was not in their favor.

XXX

After another hour of being tossed like a little child's toy in the sea, the group soon became more comfortable with the waves, slowly adjusting to their roughness. They started to relax as it soon died down to a dull roar outside, the rain still coming down hard but the hurricane long gone.

Kagome and Shippou had fallen asleep, Inuyasha and Kouga were just starting to doze off, Jinenji silently prayed from his position, at some point during the storm Hojo had actually wet himself and was currently trying to hide it, Hiten was softly snoring behind the gentle giant, a small stream of drool coming from his mouth, and Miroku had his arm around Sango as she snuggled into his chest.

The boat suddenly gave a sharp lurch, like it had hit something. Knocking those who where sleeping, or falling asleep, from their slumber Kagome and the other's groggily looked around. "What's going' on? What was that?" she mumbled, looking to the captain.

"Stay down here guys, I'll go check it out." Inuyasha said as he stood up. It seemed as though they had stopped moving, even though they were still experiencing the rocking of the waves. He went up through the door to the room above the living quarters, kicking the life jacket he had used earlier out of the way, he continued on through the swinging door to the lower level deck.

Making it outside, he noticed the skies had cleared up, but there were birds chirping. When you're at sea, you don't hear birds chirp, sure there's the occasional seagull and pelican, but other than that, there shouldn't be any birds. The captain stepped out onto the deck, the humid, damp air, practically suffocating him. When his lungs finally adjusted he stepped out farther, only to see land. An island to be exact. His boat was currently resting upon its white sandy shores. So that's what that was…' he thought, going back to the slight lurch they had experienced.

He made his way over to the steps, up to the control room and through the door that was now barely hanging on a hinge. It had most definitely seen better days. When he stepped into the control room, it felt like someone had knocked him in the gut, the boards on the windows had splintered, there were wires torn out, and pieces of buttons missing, papers had blown out onto the lower half of the deck and the map that hung on the back wall had been ripped in half, the other half nowhere to be seen.

Inuyasha knelt down and gathered some of the soggy papers. Damn,' he thought this storm really did a number on Tetsusaiga…it's gonna cost a bundle to make all the repairs…who knows if she even still runs.'

XXX

Back down in the living room, Jinenji had gotten up, gathered his kit and proceeded to check everyone over. Other than Sango's laceration needing a few stitches, re-locating Kouga's arm, and Shippou's small concussion everyone was okay. They had all made it through, no one died, and to them that was all they could ask for right now.

"Inuyasha's been up there for a while now." Sango said looking at the stairs.

"Maybe we should go see what's going on up there…" Hojo replied as he tried very hard to disguise the stain on his pants.

"After you change, you stink." Kouga said from his spot sitting on the countertop. Hojo blushed hard, and stared down at his feet, and then he raced off to get a change of pants not wanting to hear anymore of the demon's harsh words. Kagome glared a little at Kouga and he merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Are we gonna go up there or not?" he asked, jumping down and staring at the rest of the group. Everyone nodded as they made their way up to the deck.

XXX

Things were almost foreign to the group as they looked around. The damage was pretty severe. There were holes in the lower deck from hooks and equipment, or what was left of the equipment. Even though they had tied everything down, there were some things missing. There were papers everywhere, and Kagome bent over to pick one up. Staring at it she noticed it was a map, or well, part of one at least.

When they heard a noise over to their left they saw Inuyasha coming down the stairs, he was looking a little pale, and dare they say it worried? He didn't even look over at them as he started picking up bits and pieces of the control room. The other's soon followed his example in cleaning up the mess.

After the deck looked a little bit better, they all met back down in the living room. Inuyasha took the hammer and pried the nails from the boards and placed them all back into the same drawer he had gotten them from earlier. They all sat around some on the floor, some on the couch, staring at him waiting for their next assignment. From the looks of it they were stranded on a, to their knowledge, deserted island.

The silence was almost deafening as Inuyasha sat down on the couch, ran clawed fingers through his hair, and stared hard at all of them. "Look you guys, I radioed in a mayday. I didn't get a response so we can only hope that someone picked up on it. I can't figure out where we are. This place is most likely uncharted. So it will be a while before anyone can find us." He blew out a puff of air. "I can't start her up; the windows to the control room are completely gone, or embedded in the shield. Half the cover to the control panel is gone. It's just, a mess. Honestly guys, I don't know what we're gonna do."

"How about we go and explore the island a bit?" Miroku offered. He too was troubled by the situation, no doubt everyone was, but he figured if they spent some time scouting the island, the other's might loosen up a bit.

After hearing that hey had lost the engines, Kagome got up to check and make sure that the oven and other things still worked. She was greatly relieved to find out they did. They could still cook their meals, but if they ran out of food it wouldn't really do them a whole lot of good. Plus the fact that they would have to reserve the battery for radioing for help. At hearing Miroku's suggestion, she immediately perked. "That sounds like a great idea Miroku."

They headed up on to the first deck, strode over to the side and all immediately stopped in their tracks; eight faces immediately went ghostly white. It seemed they weren't as alone as they first thought. The rope that usually tied the boat to the dock was wrapped around a palm tree, footprints in the sand leading from the boat, to the tree, and further into the jungle.

"I don't really want to explore the island anymore guys." Shippou shook behind Kagome.

"Well, if there are people inhabiting this island. They can't be too bad; they did anchor us to shore. If they didn't want us here, they could have shoved us back out to sea." Sango suggested.

"But what if they want to eat us, and they're only keeping us alive long enough to fatten us up to their liking?!" the small kitsune exclaimed.

"Feh, no one's going to eat anybody runt, you got that? Not as long as I'm here anyway." Inuyasha said reassuring the tiny demon. Although he appeared tough on the outside, inside he we wasn't so sure of his previous statement, not that he'd admit to it though, there just wasn't something right about this place.

"Okay so, how about we split up into two groups, one takes the left side of the beach and the other goes along the right?" Miroku suggested, trying to think positive and get everyone's minds off the strange happenings.

"I don't really have a good feeling about this place." Kagome said, a chill running down her spine as goose bumps appeared on her arms and she rubbed them trying to get the little bumps of flesh to go back down. It kind of felt like they were being watched, and it was creeping her out. Truth be told none of them really had a good feeling about the place, but they were stuck until someone realized they were missing.

End Author's Note: Okay, so this has to be my least favorite chapter and it's an important chapter. I just kept repeating myself and I hate that, I tried to fix that but I guess I had nothing really intelligent to say for this chapter. I can't wait to see what you have to say about this one Emily. Haha.


	6. We All Fall Down

**A Killer In Hindsight**

Chapter 5: We All Fall Down

Thoughts'

"Speech"

OOO-flashback

XXX-change in scene, and sometimes character POV

; 

It had finally been decided that Miroku, Sango, Kagome, and Kouga would go exploring the right side of the beach and Inuyasha, Shippou, Hojo and Hiten would take the left towards the cliffs. While Jinenji hung back to look after the boat. After gathering things they may need, such as bottles of water and some fruit for nourishment they set off in their designated directions.

XXX

Miroku, Sango, Kagome, and Kouga had been traveling for all of a half hour before they had to stop to rest. Picking a shady spot under some palm trees the group settled down together and brought out their water bottles. Everyone had noticed quite some time ago that their young chef friend had zoned out into her own little world.

Lost in her thoughts, Kagome silently fumed. Inuyasha had put up quite a fuss when she had said she wanted to go with Sango's group. Truth be told she had been hoping to get some alone time with the girl, for some much needed girl talk'. How dare he think he can get away with telling me who I can go with! If he had just asked nicely I would have been more than happy to go with his group. But no he's too high and mighty for being polite. He's just gotta have everything his way.' She thought with a huff.

Staring at Kagome out of the corner of his eye, Kouga watched her frown. Sighing he turned his head back to the cloudless blue sky. He had been a little confused lately, he had indeed backed off on his claims of Kagome, but in the short week that everyone had known her, everyone had come to love the smiley girl, she just radiated peace and love. And he was no exception to her bright personality, he loved the way she looked and smelled but even though just days ago he had claimed her as his woman' the affection he felt for her was more brotherly and the need to protect her innocence more than anything else.

XXX

Dark curses and grumbling could be heard from the small group that traveled to the left of the beach. Damn woman, she's just so fucking infuriating.' He knew he wasn't the most eloquent of beings, but it was the truth. He had told her to come with him, he just didn't trust anyone to protect her like he would, and she had defiantly, like the little spitfire she is, stuck her chin out, puffed her chest and told him no. That was just not acceptable. He cursed her existence a few more times before sighing and finally giving up. He wasn't getting anywhere with that line of thought.

Forty-five minutes along the white sandy beaches, and all four boys were shirtless. They had definitely gone a lot farther south than he had originally thought, for it would not be this scorching unless they were near the tropics. They had run out of water no more than ten minutes ago, having drank it or poured it over themselves. It was official they were all going to die; the sweltering heat was too unbearable.

After having made it as far as they could before running into the steep hill that would lead them up to the top of the cliff, they decided it was about time they head back. All were hoping the air conditioning still worked, it would be nice to feel the cool breeze.

XXX

Jinenji had dug out his picture box not too long after everyone had left. Sitting up on the deck with telescope in hand, he watched as slowly the small groups made their way across the beach. Having gotten bored of watching them some time ago, he slumped down in his chair, opened his box and pulled out the picture that he and Kagome had been admiring earlier. Smiling softly he stroked the picture, the golden wedding band on his left hand glinting softly in the sunlight. He couldn't wait to get home and see her again.

_Thump._ The large man jerked back into the upright position and sat at attention. He cautiously made his way over to the edge of the boat. Peering over the side he saw nothing, and just as he was about bring his head back up the most excruciating pain he had ever felt graced the back of his head and everything went dark.

XXX

Sango and Miroku had bickered the entire way back to the Tetsusaiga. After having been groped several times in a row Sango had gotten fed up and pushed Miroku into the warm waters of the teal blue sea. Miroku kept trying to get Sango to forgive him and Sango promptly ignored him. A never-ending lover's quarrel.

"They could definitely use some help in the couples department. They're in love with each other and they don't even know it. How blind do you have to be?" Kouga asked smirking at Kagome as they followed along behind the fighting couple. Of course the same thing's going on with Inuyasha and Kagome, maybe not love but definitely some serious sexual tension.' He thought heatedly.

"Maybe they're just too afraid of rejection." Kagome shrugged and sighed. It was too bad to; they would make the most adorable couple.

Kouga nodded his head and continued to stare at the back of his friend's heads; it wasn't much longer until they made it back, just a second or two ahead of Inuyasha and his group.

"Did you find anything?" Miroku asked turning his attention from his beloved to his captain and dear friend. Inuyasha just shrugged and pushed some of the sand around with his toes.

"Nothing really, just a lot of coconuts."

"Well if we run out of food we know we have something on the island to eat." Hojo said a little too enthusiastically.

"We won't run out of food, because someone probably heard my mayday and they've already got people out there looking for us." The silver-haired half-demon said as he glared at the happy boy. Shrinking away from the anger in his captain's gaze, Hojo could only nod. Man, that was one half-demon he did not want to mess with.

Kagome glared at Inuyasha, he was hopefully right, but that did not give him a reason to be so hateful towards poor Hojo. The boy didn't know how to defend himself against someone like Inuyasha; he wouldn't even have a fighting chance. Feeling sorry for the poor boy, Kagome glared at the half-demon captain some more for him. To which Inuyasha only glared back at her.

"The heat is starting to get to all of us, I say we get inside, and cool off. Maybe get something in our stomachs, before we think about what to do next." Miroku offered, glancing between the huffy looking cook and the glowering captain.

"Fine." They both bit out in unison, turning and stomping up the plank to the boat.

Once they had all gathered on deck did they notice the mess that had been made. Pictures of Jinenji and his wife were splayed out all over the deck, the chair having been upturned and glass to the telescope smashed. Inuyasha sniffed at the air trying to pick up on any new scents. Not getting much more than he had when they first landed on the island he turned to look at Kouga and Hiten, who both shook their heads no' signaling they hadn't smelt anyone new either.

"What's going on?" Shippou asked, squeezing through the grown ups legs to try and see what had so suddenly caught their attention. The young kit stopped in his tracks and gazed upon the mess, his eyes going wide with disbelief. "Where's Jinenji?"

"Jinenji! Jin! You there?" Inuyasha called out, hoping for some reasonable explanation to the mess, he really didn't need or want anyone of his crewmembers missing on this island. Jinenji knew to stay at his post until he or Miroku got back, so there had to be some explanation to his sudden disappearance. With anger and panic in his mind, the half demon stormed over to the door that went inside and down into their living quarters.

XXX

"Who are you?! What do you want?!" the large man yelled as he struggled against his restraints. The chains of the shackles clinked ominously, and his heart rate increased just a little more. Dark laughter seemed to erupt from all around him, his captor was taking pleasure at the sight of his fright stricken face and he knew it.

"Now, now my good man, patience is a virtue. You'll see in due time, you'll see…" A pair of glowing red eyes watched him as his breathing quickened and he started to struggle against the chains some more. Maya.' He thought with great sorrow as his own light blue eyes settled on the form of the man before him. He could not make out any of the mans' features except for his glowing red eyes. Just from his aura alone did Jinenji know that this man was a force to be reckoned with and if he ever made it out of here alive, those eyes would haunt him the rest of his days.

XXX

Inuyasha suddenly reappeared through the broken door, a scowl lining his face. "There's no one down there, can't smell anything. Looks like the guy stuck to this spot only." The captain said as he righted the chair and picked up the small telescope. Glancing at it sadly, he figured now would be a good time as any to get with times and get some binoculars. Even though he liked the old style of peering through the long cylindrical tube, they were just too expensive to have fixed or replaced. When he got back, that would be one of the first things he'd do.

As everyone seemed to have their eyes focused on Inuyasha at the moment, no one noticed as Kagome bent down to retrieve the pictures. After having gathered them all, she frowned slightly. Something was wrong. There was a picture missing.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome trailed off. The captain looked up at Kagome, as did the rest of the crew, all curious as they watched her shuffle through the deck of pictures. "Inuyasha," she began again "there's a picture missing. The one of Jinenji, and his wife Maya, in front of Tetsusaiga, it's not here."

"That's probably nothing, the wind might have blown it away or something." He scoffed at the girl having brought up such a trivial thing.

"Inuyasha, there isn't a breeze. There hasn't been one all afternoon." Sango pointed out and Shippou gulped, this was just getting way too creepy.

"Guys, can we go inside now." His little voice quivering as he looked up at all of the taller adults before him.

"I think that's the best idea I've heard all day." Hiten, who had been quiet up until now, grumbled as he made his way towards the door.

XXX

After everyone settled down with a nice cool glass of rhubarb iced tea they began to talk about the possibilities of what was going on. Shippou having been too scared to stay up and listen had opted for going to bed. And everyone to say the least was just a little bit jealous, they all wanted this whole thing to just be a nightmare, and they'd wake up at any minute now with everyone safe and sound in their beds.

Sango had reluctantly curled up next to Miroku after giving him a stern warning to keep his hands to himself; Kouga took up the rest of the couch after them. Inuyasha, Hojo and Hiten had taken up residence in the folding chairs they kept in the room for extra seating, while Kagome was comfortable to just sit indian style on the floor. The room had been completely silent for a while now, except for the sipping of the tea, no one dared to make a sound.

"So…what are we gonna do?" Kagome finally asked the question that was on all of their minds.

"Is there anything we can do?" Sango looked around the room. Her question making the faces of her friends look more solemn by the second.

After a few more minutes of depressing silence, "We should look for him." Miroku finally said. The silver-haired half-demon hung his head, rubbing his face with callused hands. At last he looked up, his eyes blood shot and bags that had not been their earlier suddenly appearing beneath the amber orbs.

He couldn't risk putting the rest of his crew in danger by going out and looking, but they would lose Jinenji if they didn't. If they went out to look for him and someone was injured, who would bandage them? But they'd also just be sitting ducks if they stayed. Whoever had taken Jinenji would probably come back. Sometimes he just hated being captain.

"I know what'll make us all feel better!" Kagome suddenly said, brightly grinning, and startling the crew. Getting up from her position on the floor she headed into the kitchen and rummaged around for a few seconds before an excited "aha!" was heard from inside the cold box. Popping back out she set her prize of Dijon mustard and hunk of cheddar cheese on the counter and turned to the oven to preheat the boiler.

"What the hell wench? This is no time to go Betty Crocker on us. One of our friends is missing." Inuyasha growled out to her when he noticed the things she was pulling out from cupboards.

Slicing her loaf of italian sesame baguette into large diagonal pieces, the younger girl flashed a glare at the captain. "I know that! He was my friend too. I just figure everyone will be able to think better on a full stomach. Besides no one's eaten since yesterday, you guys must be starving. I know I am. And don't call me wench, dog-boy." Kagome continued to brush the bread with butter and place the slices into the toaster.

Next she placed her large hunk of cheddar cheese on a chopping board and cut it into thin slices. She heard Inuyasha "feh" when she turned back to the toaster to take out the bread. The raven-haired chef spread some country-style dijon mustard onto the toasty slices and twitched slightly at all the eyes she could feel staring into her form.

"You know what…why don't you guys change into something else while I make lunch." The group nodded and Sango called the bathroom as she grabbed some clothes from her drawer. The rest of the crew all climbed from their seated spaces and proceeded into the sleeping area to change and Inuyasha to his bedroom.

Making sure she didn't glance over at the bunks and see any of the guys naked, Kagome placed some fresh basil on the bread and a few sun-dried tomatoes over the herbs. She layered the cheese on top of the tomatoes, put the bread onto a cookie sheet and slid it under the broiler.

Sango returned from the bathroom in denim shorts and an orange T-shirt, her auburn hair placed high atop her head in a pony tail and her face and hands free from any dirt. She paced the few feet to the kitchen and hopped up on the counter next to Kagome whom was currently sitting in front of the oven watching her bread. Knocking her feet back against the cupboards underneath her Sango watched the girl.

Over the short time that she had been there, the blue-eyed girl had somehow become important to most of the crew. Not just because she fed them, and she fed them very well, they ate like kings most nights. But being in such close quarters with such a bubbly girl, the crew and the cook had formed some kind of weird friendship. They knew certain things about her, past jobs, she had a younger brother and she had spoken shortly of a few friends she had back home. But other than that no one had really bothered to get into too much detail with the girl.

They all got along well with the sunny girl, it was hard not to. It was nice to have another girl on the boat and Sango took this opportunity while the boys were busy cleaning up to get to know her better. Clearing her throat to get the girls attention she smiled when Kagome turned her head to look up at her.

"You've been on this boat for a week now and I don't even know your middle name." The older girl laughed nervously, talking intimately with people had never really been a strong suit for her. Give her a fish and she could gut it with the best of em, leave her alone in a room with someone and she would crash and burn.

Kagome smiled back at the awkward girl and giggled a little. "Lynn" she said finally.

"Huh?"

"That's my middle name, Lynn."

"Marie." Sango blushed a little. She never really did like her middle name.

"What are you guys babbling about in here now?" Inuyasha said as he emerged from his room adorned in a pair of over washed blue jeans and another red T-shirt. He seemed to have an abundance of those.

"Girl stuff." Kagome leaned back on her hands and Sango looked at her oddly.

"Whatever…I don't want to know." The captain finally said, glancing back and forth between the two women. Kagome winked up at the older girl, if there was one way to get a man to bugger off it was to tell them you were talking about girl stuff.

"Does this girl stuff include me?" Miroku asked as he popped his head out from between the curtains of his bed. Well, it got most men to back off.

"No." they said in unison and giggled to each other. Kagome glanced back at the oven. The cheese was just starting to bubble and get all gooey, and just as it began to brown she opened the panel to the oven and took out the pan. The smell alone brought everyone from their bunks where they had settled to wait for the food to be done. Even little Shippou poked his head out to sniff at the air.

The girls shook their heads sadly as the boys gathered around the table, practically drooling in anticipation for their lunch. Placing the bread onto plates Sango and Kagome brought them over. Almost as soon as the plates hit the table the bread was gone.

The two females of the group headed back into the kitchen to eat their food. Munching on it happily they conversed some more. Sango learned that Kagome's favorite color was yellow; she was twenty-one and had traveled to places such as England and Australia to work in some of the restaurants there. Kagome had found out that Sango was twenty-five, her favorite color is pink though she never would have guessed that, and she had a pitbull named Grunt who stayed with her younger brother, Kohaku, while she was gone.

"What do you call this?" Sango asked as she took another bite of the cheesy bread.

"It's my Mustard Grilled-cheese Sandwich." She said taking another bite of her own piece.

"If it's supposed to be a sandwich then why doesn't it have a top?" Chestnut eyes gazed curiously at the food in her hand.

"It's supposed to be eaten without a top, it's an open-faced sandwich." Kagome's own blue eyes sparkling back at her.

"That makes sense…I think." She said taking another bite.

"Would you two bitches stop yammering over there and get us something else to eat. We're still hungry!" Inuyasha yelled at them as he tapped his sharp claws upon the table.

"Stop calling me names and get some manners and maybe I'll get you something else!" Kagome yelled back just as fierce.

"Fine. I'm sorry. Now get me some goddamn food." He glared at the cook.

Grumbling she hopped down from the counter and searched for something else to give them. Finding some Pepita's she had made a couple days ago out of utter boredom. The cook grabbed a medium sized bowl and poured the pumpkinseeds into it. Setting it on the table she watched the guys devour that too in a matter of minutes.

"Pigs." She muttered to herself quietly and heading back into the kitchen to find something for dessert. Hopefully that would hold them over.

"He's just tense. Inuyasha always gets this way when he's under a lot of stress." Sango said quietly to the distressing girl.

"Yeah, well it's still no reason to be mean. The rest of us are worried too." The younger girl said, sticking her lower lip out in a pout.

"Yeah but you don't have to make the decision to go out and look and risk injury or stay here and continue to be sitting ducks."

"I guess you're right." Kagome sighed a little. "I just wish there was something I could do to help."

"I think feeding him is doing enough right now." Sango said giggling a little and winked at the girl. The cook blushed and stuck her head in the refrigerator. Popping back out with a container of butter in her hands. She grabbed a loaf of bread from the breadbox and some sugar from under the counter.

She spread the butter on both pieces of white bread and sprinkled sugar over the butter; she pressed the slices together. After piling a plate high with her butter-and-sugar sandwiches she grabbed two off the top and placed the rest on the table. Soon those were gone and they were back to worrying about what to do.

XXX

It had grown late into the afternoon from what Jinenji could see through the opening of the cave. The hulk of a man cringed slightly as he shifted on his spot opening one of the wounds in his side. He sat in a puddle of his own blood, his body aching. He had found out soon after he had been taken away the name of the man with the glowing red eyes.

OOO

He had been sitting in the cave alone for over an hour now. His stomach growled in hunger. From where he was sitting he could see the mouth of the cave and determined them to be at a very high altitude as he could see out over the tops of the trees and gaze upon the waters of the ocean.

The sound of water dripping to the rocky ground filled his ears and he sighed sadly again. Thoughts of his wife filled his mind; he had to stay alive. For her, for their child. He watched as a figure appeared in the mouth of the damp cave, kicking a pebble to roll across the ground and come to rest beside him.

"Another day, another captive." The low voice of the figure appeared to be woman and she slowly stepped into the cave to gaze upon him. Looking up at her Jinenji could determine two things one, the woman was most definitely a demon and most likely somehow related to his abductor if the red eyes were anything to go by. And two she definitely did not want to be here. Finally her words clicked in his head, these demons had taken people before they knew what they were doing.

"You really shouldn't have come here." She said finally, her eyes resting sadly upon the paper in her hand. Dropping it into his lap he could see it was the picture he had been showing Kagome before. He became enraged as he fingered the golden wedding band on his finger.

"Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" He yelled, his words echoing down the cave. The instinct to protect his family, rising to the forefront of his mind.

"I am Kagura." She said after a few moments of silence. "You really shouldn't have come here."

"You said that already! Where am I? Please…what do you want from me?" he begged, a lump forming in his throat.

"You are on an island south of the equator, in the middle of nowhere. You have trespassed on the grounds of the devil and he is not happy." The demoness said as she pulled a fan from the intricate obi of her kimono.

"The devil? What are you talking about demoness?!" He roared.

"Please…Call me Kagura. I don't like to do things formally…after all an executioner should be able to speak freely with her victim. Don't you think dear Jinenji?" Kagura flicked open her fan, scarlet lips quirking up in an evil smile.

"Please! No! I have a family! We're expecting our first child! Don't do this!" The terror in his eyes mounting and the smile on the woman's lips faltered and then widened again.

"That's too bad. But Naraku isn't happy and when Naraku isn't happy then people have to die. Namely…you."

"No!" Jinenji pulled harder at his shackles but whatever they were made of refused to break.

Stepping back lightly with pity for the man before her in her eyes, Kagura raised her fan and brought it down in a torrent of harsh winds, cutting into his skin. She continued the harsh abuse on the poor man's body for hours. Screaming from the pain, he soon lost consciousness from the amount of crimson pouring from his body.

Turning sharply on her heal the demoness pulled a feather from her hair as it grew she stepped upon it and took her leave of the cave. He couldn't die yet, that would come later. For now, her orders were too torture emotionally and physically till the man begged for the sweet release that only death would bring.

OOO

An hour later, he had awoken in severe pain. She hadn't killed him, but he knew…she would…eventually.

**End Author's Note**:Okay so this is going on 13 pages and I really think I should stop now before I give too much away. I was aiming for maybe 11 chapters to complete the story but plot twisters are running crazy through my mind right now and this is most likely going to go past the 11-chapter mark.

-The middle names of Kagome and Sango actually are the middle names of my two best friends, so I just had to put that in there.

-Recipe's I can send you so far are:

Kitchen-Sink Cookies

Rhubarb Iced Tea

Soda Bread

Hot-buttered maple-baked Oatmeal

Mustard Grilled-Cheese Sandwiches

Pepitas also called Baked PumpkinSeeds with Cumin

Whipped Hot Chocolate

No-Chicken Chicken Soup (great for when you have a cold)

Butter-and-Sugar Sandwiches

Another chapter I'm not too happy with but it'll do. Thanks for reading and reviews are greatly appreciated.


	7. The Lost And Found

**A Killer In Hindsight**

Chapter 6: The Lost And Found

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and Co.

"Speech"

Thought'

OOO-Flashback

XXX - Change in scene or POV

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Yawning, the captain rolled over to escape the sunlight pouring in through the small window. They had stayed up well into the night contemplating their plan of action, until it had finally been decided that they would again split up into groups and search for their friend. Squinting his amber eyes, he decided it was futile to escape the annoying rays and sat up, stretching, the blanket slid down his chest to settle at his hips.

"Inuyasha?" He heard from the other side of the door, it was Kagome. "Breakfast is ready." Sniffing at the air he could indeed smell breakfast cooking just down the hall from him. Throwing back his blankets he scratched his stomach as he left the room and headed for the table where the rest of his crew sat awaiting their delicious morning meal.

XXX

Kagome's face flushed slightly when she saw the silver haired man come from his room. She never really had gotten used to the fact that all we wore to breakfast were his boxers. Turning back to her pancakes she cracked her jaw and peeked over at everyone at the table when Inuyasha finally sat down.

Sango's baggy sweats and overly large T-shirt hid the girls' muscular frame, most likely to keep Miroku away, not that it really helped. Sango could be wearing a giant gorilla suit and the lecherous man would still be attracted to her. She sighed, Oh young love' Kagome thought to herself and hid a giggle behind her hand.

Sliding two more of the flapjacks onto a plate already overflowing with the fluffy goodness, she grabbed a stick of butter and some syrup. Setting everything down she returned to the stove to start on another batch.

She observed the rest of the crew as they dug into her cooking. Miroku in his trademark white sleeping pants with the little kissy lips all over them. Shippou was in his adorable little superman PJ set and grinned over at her when he noticed her looking at him.

Next to him was Kouga, this was one of the few times Kagome got to see him with his hair down. He really was a handsome demon, just not exactly her type. She cringed slightly when he shoved his clawed hand down his pants to scratch at unmentionables'.

Next to Kouga, was Hiten, who ate his breakfast at a more sedate pace than the others. Hiten was really the only one she hadn't gotten to know that well. He preferred to be alone. The cook had found out through Sango that a few years ago he had lost his brother and had never really been the same since.

And lastly, Hojo. That boy made her a little nervous. He was awfully skittish and compared to the others he was weak. He got way too nervous, way too easily and someday that was going to be his downfall. She was kind of surprised he hadn't fallen overboard already. As Inuyasha so blatantly put it, the guy was a bumbling idiot. Not that she was trying to be mean or anything; he just didn't really seem like he belonged on a fishing boat.

Setting down another heaping plate of yummy pancakes at the demands of a cranky captain, Kagome sighed gently and sat down next to Sango, taking a few for herself before the plate was devoured.

XXX

Two hours, four minutes, and thirty five, thirty six, thirty seven seconds…We've been at this now' Hiten thought as he cut down another branch in his way. They had left around nine in the morning, mostly just trying to avoid the inevitable. After having been split up into three groups they had finally left the Tetsusaiga in search for their missing crewmember. Personally, he found this a waste of time.

Sighing he glanced back at what consisted of his "group". There was Sango, she was strong but he preferred to stay away from women, too much drama. And Hojo, Hiten watched as he tripped over another root. They weren't getting anywhere with him tagging along. Two hours, twenty minutes, and forty, forty one, forty two seconds…God just kill me now'.

XXX

"Wench, would you hurry up already, we haven't got all day!" Inuyasha yelled back at the raven-haired girl who was currently trying to find a way through the mass of roots without hurting herself. The tiny demon on her shoulder glared and stuck his tongue out at the half-demon. Inuyasha glared back.

"Would you two stop it." She said exasperated. "Inuyasha I am going as fast as I can. I'm trying to avoid injury here. I would appreciate it if you'd stop hassling me and Shippou stop sticking your tongue out at him you're only making him crankier."

"I am _not_ cranky." The captain grumped as he glared at the forest floor and turned his back on the duo. A few moments later a scream from behind him caused him to whip back around.

"Inuyasha…a little help here!" Kagome screamed as a wriggling mass of vines wrapped around her and a baboon clad man appeared from within the foliage. Shippou clung to her shirt trying not to fall off.

"Hold on!" he yelled and started hacking at the vines encompassing the girl. Just as he started to make some headway they returned two fold. The man in the baboon skin merely laughed at their struggles.

Growling, Inuyasha turned from Kagome and pounced at the laughing man. Slashing with claws and gnashing teeth, he honed in on the dead jugular. A wooden doll fell at his feet and he kicked it farther into the woods. The vines around Kagome disintegrated, and she sighed in relief.

XXX

"So when are you going to finally admit your feelings to Sango?" Kouga asked the sputtering man beside him.

"What are you talking about, Kouga? Sango and I are friends and that's all." He said, sighing somewhat depressingly.

"So when are you going to admit your feelings to Sango?" He asked again. Grinning widely. His grin fell; however, when they both heard a loud scream. They turned to look at each other before taking off in the direction of the scream.

XXX

"What was that?" Hojo looked in the direction the sound had come from, although they all knew what it had been.

"Come on, it could be one of the others, we have to go help." She tugged on Hojo and Hiten helplessly.

"Or it could be a trap." The demon of their little troop said as he glared in the direction just north and to the right of their position.

"Or it could be someone who needs our help." Sango said glaring at the man. "If you don't want to come that's fine with me, but Hojo and I are going to go help." She grabbed the wrist of the stuttering man behind her and headed for the direction of the scream.

"Whatever." Hiten finally said to himself after a few moments of watching the two human's leave; alone, he shoved his hands into his pockets, and headed in the same direction as his crewmates.

XXX

"What happened?" Sango shouted as she and the rest of Tetsusaiga's crew come onto the scene, minus Hiten. Kagome appeared shaken up and Inuyasha was glaring at the ground.

"His name is Naraku." A woman with flaming red hair and sharp green eyes spat as she stepped from the surrounding foliage. The demonesses' once white shirt now brown from many days of unwash, and jeans that appeared to have been cut into shorts sometime ago.

"Who are you?" Kouga's voice was harsh and he moved to stand in front of the more vulnerable humans.

"I am Ayame." She replied, nodding her head in his direction.

"Well whoever this Naraku guy is, he attacked my crew and I'm not going to stand for it." The captain turned to glare at the newcomer. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to help you." Her feet spread shoulder length apart, she crossed her arms and stood her ground against the intimidating half-demon.

"Like I said, what do you want?" He glared at her defiance and turned from her to check Kagome over.

"Food, shelter and in exchange we'll provide you with information on Naraku and his hiding spots."

"We?"

"There are other survivors, our plane crashed here and we've been stranded for six months we estimate. We have built a camp only a short distance from here. We heard the scream and I was sent to help."

"How many?"

"How many…?"

"How many are there?" The half demon's frustration showed in the growl that escaped clenched teeth.

"Six, including myself." Ayame wrung her hands in worried anticipation, her courage fleeting in the face of impending rejection.

"No."

"No what?"

"No we can't put you up."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome whispered furiously as she turned to glare the captain. "How can you say that?"

"Like this… no."

"But they might be able to help us find Jin." Kouga stepped forward.

"We also don't have the room, or the food to spare." Inuyasha glared at his defiant crew mate. "So, the answer is no."

XXX

Hiten followed the two at a slower pace, in no real hurry to see what the commotion was. He took the time to look at his surroundings. The thick foliage of the forest all around him, tall leafy trees and strange flowers he'd never seen before. He could hear the call of birds from somewhere off in the distance.

The demon was startled when a hand suddenly covered his mouth. Pulling at the offending appendage, he breathed deeply and in doing so inhaled the chemicals in the cloth covering said offending appendage. Chloroform' he thought to himself as everything went black and he sunk into the bliss of unconsciousness.

XXX

Being one-third demon he healed faster than most, some of the wounds that had been inflicted upon him yesterday already starting to scar over. Jinenji tugged weakly on the shackles, most of his strength having left him as dehydration set in. Sad eyes rested on the picture that had previously been dropped in his lap, splattered slightly with his own blood he came to the realization, some time ago, that he would never see his family again.

A light breeze swirled around him signaling Kagura's return. Looking towards the entrance he noticed she was not alone. Beside her sat his crewmate, Hiten, bound and gagged. Kicking him to the hard surface of the cave floor, Hiten grunted and glared at the wind demoness.

"I believe you two know each other." Kagura breezed easily as she lightly stepped over the prone form of the newest demon to their little group. Looking around Hiten saw not only a few feet from him the man that, not too long ago, he had been searching for. Setting herself down lightly a few feet away from the men, the wind demoness gazed at her nails uninterested.

"What am I going to do with you two?" She asked more to herself, her red eyes resting upon each figure before returning back to her nails.

"Let Hiten go, he hasn't done anything." Jinenji said in defense of the bound man before him.

"Well neither have you." She responded easily. Rising from her position she paced over to Hiten, picking him up by the back of his navy blue shirt she sat him across the cave from Jinenji. Kagura ripped the gag from his mouth only to have a flood of expletives spew forth.

"Would you just _shut up_ already! My god, you're giving me a migraine." Rubbing her temples she closed her eyes in annoyance. "Jinenji would you answer the poor boys questions I have to leave. You may just have another friend joining you soon." She grinned maliciously and Jinenji paled.

XXX

"Where's Hiten?" Hojo asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Inuyasha responded unintelligently as he also took notice that the shorter demon was no where to be seen.

"I thought he was right behind us." Sango panicked slightly. They had left Hiten _alone_, in a place where one of their crewmates was already missing.

"You mean you left him…" Miroku's eyes bounced back and forth between Sango and Hojo.

"I guess so." Hojo said not really all that concerned for the man. Hiten was a demon, he figured said demon could take care of himself.

"This is where we go our sperate ways Ayame." Inuyasha said, he swore he was going to have a stroke if one more person went missing.

"But… what we use now for shelter is not adequate. We could help you repair your boat. We'll do_ anything_."

"Inuyasha." Kagome pulled on his arm. "We have to, they know the island. They could help. They're not asking much."

The half-demons thoughts ran rampant. "Fine, but I ain't watching any of your people, I got enough of my own to look after." 'Especially with the thought of Hiten possibly being abducted.'

"Fantastic." Kagome gleamed, clapping her hands. "Why don't you show us to the others. We'll walk and you can tell us more about the plane crash."

"Thank you," Ayame whispered, her voice cracking slightly. She looked up and over to her left into the jungle of the island. "We were up in the air and we had only been up for an hour maybe two. We had experienced some turbulance, you know, the usual, the next thing we knew the oxygen masks were dropping and our pilot was screaming mayday'. Everything was on fire and it was so _hot_. People were being torn from the plane…" Her voice cracked again and tears sprung to her eyes. "We lost almost everyone that day. Those that survived died, or went insane. Some we lost to the island."

"What do you mean you lost some to the island?" Miroku looked quizzically over to the troubled girl.

She glanced around nervously and a hard glint entered her eyes, "_He_ took them."

XXX

After walking for about half an hour, the entourage came upon a clearing. The ground was littered with various carcasses of previous meals, the remains of many unfortunate coconuts, and pieces of metal, most likely from the plane, glinted in the waning sunlight.

"So… where is everyone?" Kouga asked.

Walking over to a tree across the clearing, Ayame gathered what looked to be a handmade ladder from a branch of the tree. Waving them over in a gesture to follow her up, she climbed up the ladder herself. Next went Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sango. Shippou, Miroku, Hojo, and Kouga having been ordered to stand guard, stayed on the ground.

Set right in the middle of the tree; hidden among the thick branches was a crude tree house, made from various parts of the plane and hacked up pieces of wood. Pushing on the door under the house, Ayame hoisted herself through the opening followed by the trio from the Tetsusaiga.

Inside the house they found five more people in much the same condition as Ayame. Two men, two more women and a small girl. The farthest on the left had been introduced as Bankoutsu, his long black hair in a braid down his back; he wore no shirt and jeans in much the same condition as Ayame's.

Next was Jakoutsu, his brown hair in a braid much like Bankoutsus, he wore linen pants rolled up to his knees and a white tank top that had no doubt seen better days. Next to Jakoutsu was Ayumi, in a bloodied sports bra and shorts, her curly hair high up in a ponytail.

Then there was Eri, her shirt had long ago been torn to come up just above her belly button and sleeves torn off, her pants in the same condition as Ayame's and Bankoutsu's. And then, Kirara a small cat demon, the girl had to be no more than Shippou's age. Her blonde hair done in messy pigtails and her overalls were worn through at the knees.

"You guys never heard of a shower before?" Inuyasha asked, hiding his nose under his shirt to keep away the smell of the five obviously unbathed occupants. They all shot glares at him and he flinched.

"There's a fresh spring not too far from here, where we get our water but we can't bath in it. We have to drink it for heavens sake." Eri said rolling her eyes.

"Be nice Eri. They've offered to take us in." Ayame scolded.

"On that beaten old thing you call a boat? " Eri snorted.

"That beaten old thing is going to be your new home until we figure a way off this island." Ayame growled at the girl and Eri showed her neck in a sign of submission.

"Speaking of that beaten old boat…you guys wouldn't happen to have been the ones who anchored us to shore, would you?"

"No, it wasn't us. This is one of the tallest trees in the jungle, I spotted you while on look out." Bankoutsu explained.

Everyone jumped, startled, when Jakoutsu suddenly lunged for half-demon. Kagome blinked a couple times and stopped combing her fingers through the little cat demon's hair to watch as Jakoutsu attacked Inuyasha's ears. "Oh my." She said, trying hard not to giggle.

Bankoutsu rose from his spot to pull the salivating man from the captain's ears. "Dammit, Jak, he's not a chew toy." He huffed as he tugged harder at the other man.

"But they're so cute!" Jakoutsu squealed and fought to keep hold of the doggy-eared captain. Kagome couldn't help it; she burst into giggles, earning a glare from Inuyasha and weird looks from everyone else in the room. The man was obviously very gay.

"What's so funny wench?" The half-demons' eyes burned like fire and she promptly clamped her mouth shut.

"Nothing." She said quickly. Ayame and Sango who had been watching the transaction quickly rose from their spots and tried to help Bankoutsu with the removal of the flamboyant man.

"Stop it Jak, you're going to scare him away." Letting go with a small pout Jakoutsu sulked back to his spot against the far wall, staring longingly at the ears atop Inuyasha's head.

XXX

"What do you think they're doing up there?" Miroku asked when he saw the tree shake some more. They had heard yelling but couldn't make out what was being said and Kouga wasn't willing to share what he had heard. Although, it probably had been something he could use against Inuyasha later if the wide grin on his face was anything to go by.

Shipou had dozed off some time ago. The events from earlier in the day had tuckered him out and he had wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. The rest of the group had no arguments as none of them really felt like entertaining him.

They could hear someone grumbling and they all looked over just in time to see Inuyasha jump down from the tree, rubbing his ears. Next came Ayame and the rest of the group followed suit down the ladder.

After everyone had been introduced and Shippou had been woken up they headed back for the boat. The humans had to rely on the demon's sight now for it had grown very dark and a slight chill settled over them. An hour later they all arrived back at the boat. Happy to get in out of the cold and the rain that had just started to come down.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

**End Author's Note**: So Jakoutsu provides a little comic relief. Some parts of this chapter I like. Other's not so much. The fight scene, if you could even call it that, is not exactly up to par. Fight scenes have never really been a strong suit for me. I hope you guys liked it and sorry for the wait. This story is starting to get a little out of control, there's so many characters to keep track of now.

**Next Time** on A Killer In Hindsight: The Haunted


	8. The Haunted

**A Killer In Hindsight**

Chapter 7: The Haunted

"Speech"

Thought'

OOO-Flashback

XXX-Change in scene or POV

---------------------------------------------------------------

The remaining members of Tetsusaiga and the plane crash victims were all curled up in blankets, resting in various positions upon the floor of the living room. Everyone sat showered and fed. The feel of the new, fresh, clothing heaven to the plane wreck survivors.

Kagome braided the small cat demons hair into little pigtails, the soft platinum blonde strands, silk, against her fingers. She smiled softly as she watched Kirara and Shippou continue with their card game. The kit, lay upon his stomach, kicking his feet in the air, he smiled when he saw her watching him.

Ayame, Bankoutsu, Jakoutsu, Ayumi and Eri happily sipped their hot cups of coffee. The crew of the Tetsusaiga watched the three in nervous anticipation of the conversation to come. They all wanted answers to the questions brewing in their minds, and they all knew that the five sitting before them would have what they sought.

"Kagome, don't you think it's time the kids went to bed?" Sango asked, her eyes urging the other girl to agree. Protests came from the two small demons, exclaiming they weren't tired yet.

"I suppose. It is getting pretty late. Come on you two. Let's get you tucked in."

"But Kagome…" Shippou whined, "We haven't finished our game."

"You can finish it in the morning. The grownup's need to talk…" Inuyasha said gruffly, never taking his eyes off of the flamboyant man who kept fluttering his unusually long eyelashes at him. Grumbling some, the two children climbed into their respected bunks. Shippou in his usual spot and Kirara taking up the bed beneath him that Sango usually slept in.

After tucking them in and making sure they were comfortable, Kagome returned to the living area. A tense silence hung over the group. Miroku coughed slightly to clear his throat, drawing the attention of the occupants in the room.

"Well…How should we go about this?" He finally asked; looking at the three curled up in the couch.

"I guess…we should start…" Ayame trailed off, staring into her nearly empty mug. The dark liquid merely quivered the tiniest bit, in response to the claws tapping against the side of the ceramic cup.

"Any day now…Not like we're getting any younger." Inuyasha grumped. He hated waiting. It only dragged out the inevitable.

Glaring a little at the half-demon, the wolf began. "Well…I was heading to Brazil for a dig, you see, I'm an archeologist and I was assigned a site they had just started there a few years back. I knew it was a bad idea to go by plane, as soon as I boarded I just got this horrible feeling something bad was going to happen." Sighing, she shook her head.

Ayumi and Eri were wrapped together in a blanket next to the couch; they both shook from tremors at the memories that started to flow before their eyes.

"I got the same feeling…my skin was crawling and I practically puked. It was almost like someone had just walked over my grave. " Ayumi shuttered, recalling the memory.

Ayame nodded and continued with her story after a look from the captain, which clearly stated get on with it already'. "We reached altitude and it was pretty smooth, not much turbulence and then just out of nowhere the sky just got really dark.

Rain started pouring, and there was lightning striking everywhere around us. And for the briefest moment everything got real quiet, you could've heard a pin drop. Then, people started screaming, and there was such a wind that I thought my skin was going to be ripped from my body. One of the wings had been torn from the plane and there was a huge hole and people were sucked right though it. All I could do was hold on and watch them as they were torn from the craft.

There was this one woman across the aisle from me, just sobbing and holding her little girl. I couldn't help but thinking, she knew she was going to die." Shaking her head she paused for a second, her breath becoming shaky. Squeezing her eyes shut, she held back the tears that were threatening to burst.

"The captain kept yelling over the speakers, Mayday! Mayday!' and everything just got really _hot_. The plane…" her voice cracked and a few tears spilled forth from shimmering emerald orbs, "the plane…it was on fire, there was smoke _everywhere_. I couldn't breathe. I just waited." The demoness became exceptionally silent then. The sadness in her eyes was reflected in the others eyes as well. The group was caught in a world that was wholly their own.

Kagome rose from her position on the floor, and settled herself next to Ayame, on the couch. Holding the girl to her, the wolf demoness let the dam brake and a flood of tears burst forth. The soft sobs of the red-haired girl filled the room and the young cook let her owns tears slide down smooth cheeks.

"I…" Bankoutsu started but coughed as he choked on the abnormally large lump in his throat, "…The plane…it went into a nose dive." Ayame nodded and sniffled at the man.

"I remember hitting the water…and I guess I blacked out." She said looking down to the hands in her lap.

"I didn't." Bankoutsu stared ahead of him at a random point on the far wall. "I was across the aisle from Kirara and her mother…" looking off in the direction of the bunks, his chin quivered a little, "the man next to me, he had passed out sometime during the crash. I brought him to the surface and I went back down to get Kirara and her mother."

"What happened?" Sango asked, completely enthralled in the mans' story. Kagome continued to rub Ayame's back as she looked at the man next to her. Tears continued to roll down her face when he continued.

"I got them both out…but…Kirara's mother was one of the ones who was later…lost to the island." He paused as he hung his head and cradled it in her hands. "I saved her only so she could die." Placing her other arm around Bankoutsu's shaking shoulders, Kagome cradled him to herself. He sobbed and clung to her shirt.

"Did you know…did you know a fire can still burn even in the water?" Jakoutsu asked lost in his own world. "It's not for long, but it can still burn…" All eyes were upon him. "A little boy a few seats ahead of me was screaming because he had caught on fire…and even after the plane was sinking…he was still screaming…still _burning_. He died of _drowning_. Do you fucking believe that? He died because he drowned! He was on _fire_ and he _drowned_!"

The Tetsusaiga crew looked at him curiously. "He was just a little boy…" he whispered dejectedly. "I'm a mortician. You'd think being around dead bodies the way I am, I wouldn't have been so affected…"Jakoutsu chuckled cynically, "how ironic."

"We saved as many as we could. We knew that if we ever got off this stupid island their families would probably want their bodies." The demoness started sobbing all over again, clutching the fabric of her shirt over her heart.

"There were some we never got to, we should have tried harder, we should have gotten them. They deserve a funeral just as much as everyone else." Bankoutsu's voice was slightly muffled by the fabric of Kagome's sweater. His face still buried in her shoulder.

"You did the best you could, that's all anyone can ask for." Kagome whispered to him.

"Yeah, but our best wasn't good enough." He responded spitefully.

"We dug graves for all of them." Jakoutsu said, looking solemn. "The burial grounds are not too far from where you found us."

After that last final note, no one dared speak a word. Jakoutsu, Bankoutsu, Ayame, Eri and Ayumi took five of the bunks, and Inuyasha retired to his room looking dead on his feet. Kagome took up her own bunk underneath Shippou and Kirara, and Sango took the bunk across from her, Miroku and Kouga settled themselves in the living room and Hojo stayed up a little while longer, cleaning up, and then flopped onto the couch.

XXX

The morning found the entire group huddled around the table as the smells of breakfast permeated the room. Kagome pulled the large glass dish from the oven, heaping great spoonfuls into the bowls, with large hunks of butter and hot maple syrup.

Setting the bowls upon the table, she made sure to stand clear as some of the maple-baked oatmeal went flying. In a matter of minutes several bowls were presented to her to fill up again. Returning to the stove, she proceeded to fill them again, along with her own bowl and settled herself in next to Shippou on the end.

After breakfast the group hung around in the living room again, Kirara and Shippou taking up their card game from the night before. Last nights conversation still weighed heavy upon the minds of the adults.

They all sat quietly, sipping upon glasses of cool iced-tea, listening to the children laugh. A smile played at Kagome's lips as she watched them fondly. Sango fidgeted quietly next to her.

"So…" Kouga began, the tension in the room becoming unbearable to his demonic senses.

"Tell us about the person who took my deckhands?" The captain's voice heavy upon them, his gaze not much better, as it burned with a dark fire.

"His name is Naraku." Eri said from her place in the corner, motioning to herself and Ayumi, she continued, "He took our friend, Yuka, a few days ago."

XXX

Hiten shivered as another drop of freezing cave water, slid down his face to drip off his chin and onto his arm. Himself and Jinenji were both frozen to the bone. Earlier in the night Kagura had returned and moved them to a new location, somewhere deep underground.

The ground was slick with water and jagged with rocks. They could faintly hear waves crash upon the shore far off. Jinenji coughed roughly from beside him. The cool temperature of the caves combined with the water that now soaked them through had quickly made the other demon sick, almost hypothermic.

The red-eyed demoness had made quick work of their flesh, having sliced deep gashes into both men. The cuts had become infected and some now oozed a sickly yellow puss. They could practically taste the smell of the rotting flesh, making them both gag.

Jinenji coughed again, and Hiten struggled weakly against his restraints. An old magic bound the shackles and he was unable to break them, soon giving up, yet again. A dark chuckle brought both demons' heads to attention.

A man in a baboon skin stepped from the shadows and the scent of decaying flesh multiplied ten fold. Hiten coughed and gagged, a thin stream of acid bile hung from his lips. Having long ago puked up everything that was in his stomach, only the acidic liquids remained.

"It's been sometime since we've had visitors." The man said, his red eyes glowing from the sockets of the pelt.

"Who the fuck are you?" Hiten demanded sharply, glaring daggers upon the taller man.

"Did I say you could speak?" The red eyes narrowed slightly in a scowl. A hulking man appeared a few seconds later, heaving the body of a young woman behind him, a rope wrapped tightly around her upper body, her hands and feet bound and a gag placed firmly in her mouth. Jinenji and Hiten both had to look away at the sight.

Her face was frozen in a silent scream, as she gasped, desperately, for air. Her eyes flashed from side to side, upon landing on the two demons, she mouthed the words Help me' to them as best she could. A choked whimper escaped her mouth as she was dragged over another sharp rock; her skin gave no resistance and was easily torn from her bones.

The young woman's naked body shook from a fear experienced solely by those who had been brutally tortured. The bruises black, against her obviously pale skin. Her ribs poked sharply through her flesh, her entire skeleton practically bursting from the confines of her skin.

Her eyes landed upon the man in the baboon pelt and a muffled scream rushed forth from behind the gag. Terror filled her eyes, and she continued to scream something so animalistic, so bone chilling, Hiten gagged and spit more bile upon the floor.

What bothered him most was the glee that filled the man's eyes. Her petrified screams intensified as she was hoisted into the air and tossed down into a deep cavern. A few moments later they heard a faint thud' as her body hit the bottom. Her screaming had stopped but the joy in the demons' eyes tripled.

"Now, where were we?" He asked as he turned to face the two.

XXX

"Naraku…" Pausing to take a breath, Ayame shuddered and huddled herself closer to Kagome, "Naraku is evil personified. The spawn of Satan himself. He's not demonic and he's not human. We don't know what he is."

"Do you know what he wants from our friends?" Miroku asked.

"To torture them." Eri's voice came hauntingly from the corner. "He gets his jollies from causing everyone else pain. He's only taken them to torture them. He lives for other people's pain. He _thrives_ on it. _He's a monster_." Her voice cracked slightly as she whispered the last part, and she let loose her own torrent of tears.

Ayumi nodded her head in agreement as the sadness in her eyes alone overwhelmed the members of the Tetsusaiga. She held Eri to her and rocked back and forth, working to sooth the upset girl in her arms.

"But why?" Kouga asked, looking to Ayame for an explanation.

"Why? Why does anyone torture another being?! He does it because he's sick and twisted and he has no heart. I don't know. He just does…okay?" The demoness wiped at her face as she stared off into the distance.

"So what…he just kidnaps people and gets his rocks off torturing them?" Inuyasha asked, staring hard at Ayame.

"Yeah, I guess." She whispered; her eyes glazed as she was whisked away into her own mind.

"Sounds a bit far fetched to me." The captain said, snorting. He always had been one to be suspicious. His cautiousness had saved his sorry ass more than once.

"How dare you…" Eri whispered dangerously to the man. Her eyes narrowing to slits in her anger. "You have no idea what that man is capable of! At least, not until the dead bodies of your men start showing up. And they will, just you wait." She rose then from her position on the floor and stormed off to lock herself in the tiny bathroom.

Ayumi lowered her head and sighed. Inuyasha just looked confused. "What the hell's her problem?" He finally asked.

"What? You think this is some kind of joke? You think we just made all of this up?" Bankoutsu said rising from his seat on the couch. "More of your people will go missing, I can guarantee it. Two isn't enough for him. They'll bore him soon and he'll come back for more. He's not done with you yet." Bankoutsu stalked from the room and a few moments later they heard the curtains of one of the bunks slide shut.

"Maybe…maybe we should start from the beginning." Ayumi offered as she folded up the blanket and took Bankoutsu's seat on the couch.

OOO

A long expanse of white sand was littered with bruised and battered bodies. The rain beat down upon humans and demons alike, groaning in pain. A few of the survivors who fared better than the rest, checked up on those who were hurt and some pulled the wading luggage onto the shore.

A demoness with flaming red hair rose from the blue-green sea, "I've got another one!" she shouted, a small child cradled in her arms. A few of the survivors came forth and took the babe from the demoness.

"How many more?" said a man approaching her, his brown hair in a long braid down his back. He sounded suspiciously feminine but the demoness left it alone.

"Only a few…but I don't think I can go back down." She panted. "The plane has sunk too far, the pressures too much." Coughing slightly, she put her hands on her knees and looked up at the man.

"Do you have an estimate?" He asked his face solemn.

"About five, I think." She shook her head and sunk into the wet sand, the waves of the ocean lapped at her back. A few moments later another man emerged from the sea, sputtering and coughing as he gasped for air.

The demoness and the man rushed forth to drag him up on the land. "Are you alright?" They asked.

"I tried to get him," he stopped to gasp for air some more before he continued, "but the pressure was too much. I couldn't take it. I had to get out." The man broke down weeping, his head in his hands.

"What's your name?" The demoness asked

"Irving…my son…he's still down there. You have to save him!" He cried out, desperation pouring from his eyes.

"We can't do anything. The plane…it's sunk to deep. If we send anyone down there, they'll surely die." The man with the braid said, looking away from the sobbing father before him. "Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked.

"I don't think so…but my son…please…" He grabbed at the demoness; the desperation in his voice alone tore at the girl. Her own sadness reflected deep within her eyes.

"Why don't we get you cleaned up?" She said, eyeing the large gash on the mans' forehead. "My name's Ayame." The man with the braid turned away and left to go tend to others with more serious injuries.

XXX

The wailing of heartbroken mothers, lost children and the dying filled his ears. It was too much. He liked peace and quiet. He wasn't used this. Looking over at the pile of the deceased he shuddered. There were so many, _too_ many, and it continued to grow even now.

He watched as one of the men, heaved another body onto the pile. He didn't know what the count was by now. But then again, he didn't really want to know.

A woman grabbed at his pant leg, tears streaming down her face, she spoke in a language he didn't understand but he got the gist of it. She was one of the mothers who had lost a child, no doubt the young one was buried somewhere in the ever-growing pile.

He pried her fingers away from his pants and continued walking down the beach. Bits and pieces of the wrecked plane washed ashore and he shuddered, knowing he would never step foot on another one of those evil contraptions again.

Sitting away from the mass majority of survivors he pulled his legs to his chest, slung his arms over his knees, and buried his face in them. It was all too much. He let his own tears fall within the safety of his arms.

He felt someone sit beside him. Silently, he prayed the person would go away. The man finally lifted his head and glared at the man beside him, hoping he would get the point.

"I've worked in a morgue the past three years and I don't think I've ever seen so many bodies before." His feminine voice startled him and he looked questioningly at the man.

"I'm Jakoutsu." He said finally.

"Shouldn't you be off helping take care of the injured? You _are_ the closest thing we have to a doctor right now." He said rudely.

"Maybe, but you looked like you could use a friend." The feminine man smiled sadly at him. His only reaction was to scowl.

"I saw you try to save that little boy." He finally said. Jakoutsu lost his smile and bowed his head again.

"It seems I didn't do a very good job." He chuckled cynically at himself and stared over at the pile of bodies.

"Bankoutsu." He finally said, smiling slightly when Jakoutsu shot him a peculiar look. "My name is Bankoutsu." The incredibly feminine man smiled at him again and nodded his head. They looked out to the sea as thunder rolled overhead and lighting cut through the air farther back on the island.

XXX

It had been four days since the plane had crashed. Another person seemed to die every hour, it had let up some this morning and Ayame was happy. She hated seeing people hurt or die. She wasn't quite sure which was worse, being the one dying, or watching everyone around you die.

By now the fifteen or so people who had survived had moved farther back into the tree line, seeking the shelter it provided from the harsh weather. They had built makeshift tents, and later in the afternoon they were to begin the digging for the mass grave.

It had become harder to breathe as each day passed, the sun would bake the carcasses each morning and well into the afternoon until nightfall came and the rain would come. They had set out anything they could use to hold water to catch the rain each night; they still hadn't found any fresh water.

It had become a dreaded task, they knew eventually the bodies had to buried, but no one was willing to do it. Many were still upset and healing from the crash. A small body came crashing into her leg and Ayame looked down.

A small girl the age of nine had attached herself quite firmly to her calf. She beamed up at the older demoness, showing off her tiny fangs. Her blonde hair was almost brown with days of grime and it saddened Ayame. She was such a pretty little girl.

"Aya! Aya! Look what I found!" She exclaimed, holding up a bright red flower for her to see. "Isn't it pretty?"

"It's very pretty Kirara." She said, crouching down to the younger girls' height.

"I picked it for you!" Kirara grin expanded even more, if that was possible, at Ayame's chuckle.

Taking the brightly colored flora from the girl she said, "Thank you" and Kirara was off again, most likely to find some more flowers.

Bankoutsu and Jakoutsu approached her when the tiny demon left, and came to stand on either side of her. "She really does adore you." Jakoutsu said, not taking his eyes off the little girl running around their encampment.

"How's her mother doing?" Ayame asked.

Jakoutsu frowned, "Her infection has gotten worse. I fear she doesn't have much time left." Shaking his head he stared down at his feet and stole a glance at Bankoutsu out of the corner of his eye. The man had straightened and his mouth had hardened into a thin line. He winced and continued staring at his feet.

Turning sharply on his heel Bankoutsu left the two to check up on Kirara's mother. Slipping into the 'Medical tent' she was residing in, he disappeared from their sight.

"How much longer do you think?" Ayame asked, her green eyes following the young demon as she skipped from flower to flower, smelling them all. A small smile came to her lips. Oh to be a child again,' She thought.

"A few days at least, but that's only an estimate. She could be better by next week. I'm not really sure." Jakoutsu sighed and returned his sights to his shuffling feet. Ayame sighed and nodded her head.

All of a sudden a deep purple smoke filled the air. Coughing and covering her nose and mouth, Ayame searched out Kirara. "What the fuck?" She heard Jakoutsu whisper from beside her, he coughed violently.

"Cover your mouth!" She whispered back vehemently. "Kirara!" She called. "Kirara!" She tried again. People were screaming and running around. Most were dropping to the ground on their hands and knees, coughing and revisiting what little they had had for breakfast that morning. The few who had the sense of mind to cover their mouths did so.

A deep chuckle resounded around them and shook Ayame to her core. It was a sound so dark and sinister, so full of malice and hatred, it made her want to run and hide and never come out.

"Eeny, Meany, Miney, Mo..." She heard the voice and watched as a man in a baboon pelt drifted down from the sky and flashed forward toward the medical tent. He tore through the tent, Bankoutsu hanging from his arm, fighting tooth and nail. A large tentacle burst from beneath the pelt and speared him through the leg.

She watched as he took Kirara's mother from her bed and lifted them to the sky. Tears rolled down her face and her chin quivered. As the man left so did the miasma and soon she was able to breathe again. She checked Jakoutsu who had at some point passed out beside her.

Running over to where the medical tent used to be she crashed to her knees beside Bankoutsu. Blood poured from his wound as he rocked himself back and forth.

"Are you alright?" She heard herself ask, this all seemed so surreal.

"I'll be fine, but we need to go after him. He has Kioko."

"I know." She whispered as she held the shaking man to her.

OOO

"A few days later…we found her." Ayame said, her voice quivered just the slightest and tears once again welled within her eyes. "She…her…her skin…was gone. It was _gone_."

"There was evidence he raped and sodomized her, tortured for days and finally skinned her alive." Jakoutsu said his eyes and voice matching in their hard edge.

"And he's going to do the same to your friends. He takes them first, tortures them for a few days. Sometimes if it's real quiet you can hear them screaming. Then, he'll display them, but only the first few he takes. The rest, no one really knows what happens to them. He'll leave you waiting between kidnappings, making you wonder if he's stopped, if he's ever coming back. You'll live in constant fear. Paranoid, who's going to be next?" Ayame's eyes were haunted as she looked between the remaining Tetsusaiga crewmembers.

A soft "Feh" escaped the captain's mouth in an exhale and he stared at the carpeting. This Naraku guy was certainly one sick fuck. He had to save his men, but at the same time protect what was left of them. Glancing up at Kagome through his bangs he came to one conclusion. He wasn't going to give up on Jinenji and Hiten but protecting the remaining members came first, no matter what.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Some parts of this like, some I don't. Someone asked me what I listen to when I'm writing. For this chapter the soundtrack would go something like

Aiden: I Set My Friends On Fire.

Alexisonfire: Drunks Lovers Sinners and Saints.

Silverstein: Smashed Into Pieces.

So, tell me what you think.


	9. The Things Nightmares Are Made Of

**A Killer In Hindsight**

Chapter 8: The Things Nightmares Are Made Of

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha and Co. This work of fiction is solely for the enjoyment of the reader's and myself.

"Speech"

Thought'

OOO - Flashback

XXX - Break in point of view, or scene.

The rapid beating of my heart resounded in my ears. I swallowed heavily. I could feel the sweat beading upon my forehead, it dripped down to my lips and I could taste my own nervousness and fear upon my tongue.

A man appeared before me from the shadows and I immediately knew who he was. He spoke to me but I could not hear him over the roar of blood in my ears. I clenched my hands into fists and squeezed my eyes shut. My lips formed to move the Our Father, but no sound escaped my mouth.

My papery lids slowly opened to reveal my terrified blue eyes. My lips moved faster as my vision came in contact with the being before me. His gaze burned deep and I felt as though I was looking into the deepest fires of hell. Visions of my family flashed in my minds eye. All thought escaped me.

And just like that my head fell from my body and I was no more.

XXX

Kagome bolted into an upright position, hitting her head on the bunk above her and she gasped for some much needed air. A cold sweat covered her body and she shivered lightly, goose bumps rising on her arms. Rubbing her head she threw back the covers and rose from her tiny bunk.

It had been three days since they had found Ayame and the rest of the plane wreck survivors. Making her way to the kitchen the young cook grabbed a glass from one of the cupboards and filled it with tap water. Hopping up onto the counter she took several large gulps of the cool drink before setting the glass down and losing herself within her own thoughts.

That had to have been one of the strangest dreams she had ever had. Rubbing her neck she recalled the feeling of the cool sharp blade against her neck. Taking another sip of her water Kagome frowned. She couldn't recall ever having known the Our Father, she wasn't Catholic after all. So why would she be reciting a Catholic prayer?

The whole thing just gave her a bad feeling and she decided not to dwell on it anymore. Swallowing the remaining contents of her glass, she set the cup in the sink. Heading back down the short walk to her bunk, the cook jumped when the door down the hall clicked open.

"I thought I heard someone." The captain's husky voice washed over her from the darker depths of the cabin. Kagome could just barely make out the glow of his amber eyes. "Everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, just a bad dream." Her voice shook almost as much as her knees and she watched as the door opened a little wider. Soft light spilled from the crack of the door and outlined Inuyasha's form in the darkness.

She tried to swallow around the lump in her throat and failed miserably. Kagome could just barely make out the frown on the captain's face.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked stepping out of his room.

"No. Everything's fine now." She assured him, leaning on the bunk's frame to steady herself.

"Well…if you're sure…" He trailed off.

"Yeah. Just a bad dream…it was nothing." She smiled, knowing he could see it in the dark. She knew he wasn't completely convinced but she let out a sigh of relief just the same when he stepped back into his room.

"Okay then, get some sleep." And with that he closed the door and the hallway was dark once again.

Flopping down onto her bed Kagome blew at the lock of hair that settled over her face. She watched as it was forced upwards with the puff and then gently fell back down upon her face. Great, now she couldn't sleep. It was going to be a long night.

XXX

The sounds of silverware tinkling against the plates and joyous laughter filled the humid morning air. A little ways away they could hear the exotic birds chirping and waves lapping against the beach and the sides of the boat.

Inuyasha hadn't slept much in the days that his crewmembers had gone missing. They had talked some about what to do, but they were all too afraid to actually put any plan into action. Ayame and her group had continued to tell them horror stories about Naraku.

The dark circles under his eyes had continued to grow with each passing hour with no word or sign from Naraku. He was beginning to think the worst for his crewmates and it did not settle well with him. Glancing around the table he could tell the others were just as worried but they continued to push it to the backs of their minds.

"I'm gonna go up and get some air." Miroku rose from the table, no one seemed to mind him much as he headed for the stairs. Pulling himself up and onto the deck he continued on his way outside. His head hung, he shoved his hands in his pockets.

XXX

He knew Inuyasha was taking on most of the worry for the other crewmembers. He had tried not to think about the kidnappings as much as possible. They weren't prepared for something of this caliber, mentally or physically. From the way Ayame and the other's spoke they would need an army to take this man down, and they were definitely no army.

Rubbing his face with his hands, he closed his eyes and continued to wander to the middle of the deck. He foot came in contact with something and he frowned. Taking his hands from his face and opening his eyes. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

Backing away, he turned and ran for the railing of the boat, heaving his previously eaten meal into the ocean. Squeezing his eyes shut, he gripped the railing until his knuckles turned white. Oh Buddha, Why?' Miroku continued to question as he gagged until all that came up was the acidic liquids in his stomach.

XXX

"Someone should be up there with him. I don't trust leaving anyone by themselves right now." Inuyasha frowned as he stared at the stairs.

"I'll go. I need to talk to him anyway." Sango offered. She rose from her place at the table, scooting past Kagome, Shippou and Kirara, she made her way to the stairs.

A few seconds were all that had passed before a blood-curdling scream ripped through the air around them. Birds and other small animals scattered, the remaining people on the boat, demons and humans alike ran up the stairs, and somewhere on the island a pleased smile spread across menacing features.

XXX

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks and ran his fingers through his hair. Kagome fell to her knees next to him, leaning against his leg for support. One by one everyone joined them and Ayame turned to keep the children from seeing the horrific sight that lay before them.

Jinenji's head stared at them, blank eyes and mouth agape. Miroku finally faced them and fell against the side of the boat, sliding till he was seated. Sango continued to gaze with unseeing eyes, her hands over her mouth, to keep herself from screaming or losing her breakfast, she wasn't really sure.

"We told you this would happen." Came Bankoutsu's strangled voice from the back of the small crowd. "We told you he would do this…but you didn't listen. You see what happens when you don't listen!" his voice steadily grew until he was yelling. He marched forward and grabbed the captain by the collar of his T-shirt.

Glaring, he shook Inuyasha. "You see now?! He will not show you _any_ mercy!"

"Stop it! Stop yelling!" Sango screamed, turning on the two. "What were we supposed to do Bankoutsu?! We don't know what we're up against! How are we supposed to take down this monster?! We're fishermen! We're not equipped to handle this!"

Dropping Inuyasha, Bankoutsu turned to face her only to be stopped when the captain grabbed his arm. Sharp claws dug into his skin, drawing blood. The two males proceeded to glare at each other and a battle of wills ensued. Jakoutsu stepped forward, helping Kagome from the floor and stepping next to Bankoutsu.

"Inuyasha let him go." The hanyou turned to look at her. His jaw clenched and he slowly released the other man from his grasp. Rubbing his arm, Bankoutsu stepped away and Jakoutsu placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to speak to Sango over his shoulder, his mouth pressed into a grim line.

"We understand that you have not seen what we have, therefore, we do not expect that you would believe us so readily. But now that you have seen what he is capable of you know that if you want to live, we will have to fight him."

Sango stared down at her feet, shaking her head, she wiped furiously at the tears in her eyes. Miroku came to stand next to her; he placed his arms around her.

"I'll just take the kids inside. Ayumi, Eri…why don't you guys come with me?" the two girls nodded to Ayame and followed her as she ushered the children inside, much to their disappointment.

Kagome dared to ask the question that had been on all of their minds since they had discovered Jinenji's head, "Where's the rest of his body?"

XXX

It had been a few hours since their initial discovery and everyone had gone back inside, trying to figure out what to do with said discovery. Inuyasha had disappeared into his room a short while ago, after slamming the door quite loudly.

Kagome glanced, yet again, towards the captain's quarters. She was busy fixing lunch, mustard grilled-cheese sandwiches and salad; she had been growing more and more worried since Inuyasha had shut himself in his room. She knew this was affecting him the most, he felt responsible.

Taking the open-faced sandwiches from the oven she placed them on the counter to cool, setting in another tray. Glancing over at everyone in the living area she smiled softly, watching the children play their third game of Clue'. She never did quite understand the rules to that game.

The timer dinged' and she took the second pan from the oven. Setting it next to the first, she stuck her hand in the refrigerator to take out the lettuce for the salad. Pouring the crispy leaves into the large wooden bowl, she took the sliced cucumber and tomatoes and poured them into the bowl too. Grabbing a bottle of dressing she called out to others to come and get their dinner.

No one really rushed to get lunch; the kids seemed to be the only ones that were hungry. Grabbing two extra plates, Kagome took a couple of the sandwiches and tottered off to Inuyasha's room. Knocking on the door she waited for him to answer. When none came she poked her head into the room.

"Hey…can I come in?" She noticed his prone form lying on the bed, face down in his pillow. How does he breathe like that?' She thought to herself, furrowing her brow a little in confusion. When he didn't answer her question, or even acknowledge her, she entered the room and closed the door softly behind herself.

"How are you holding up?" she asked, sitting down on the bed next to him and almost falling over. "You have a water bed?" She grinned mentally at the idea. He merely grunted in response. "Are you hungry? I brought lunch." He grunted again and she set the tray on the nightstand.

"Look Inuyasha, I know you feel responsible but there's nothing that we could have done. Stop blaming yourself." Rolling over onto his side, he propped himself up on his elbow to properly glare at her.

"How can I not feel responsible? He was part of _my_ crew, it was _my_ responsibility to protect him and I let him down!" Well, _that_ got his attention.' She thought to herself, flinching when he raised his voice. Kagome bowed her head to stare sadly at her twiddling fingers. She let out puff of air when a lock of her hair escaped from her ponytail to land across her face.

"We should have gone out and looked for him more. We should be out there right now looking for Hiten."

"If we go out now someone else could be taken and then where would we be? For all we know…Hiten could be dead by now." She nearly toppled over when the half-demon sat up rather abruptly. If looks could kill she'd be dead ten times over.

"Well you can give up, but I'm not. He's part of my crew and I've already failed Jinenji. I'm not going to fail him too." His glare was fierce and determined; he wasn't going to give up.

XXX

Hiten flinched as a breeze blew over his open wounds. It was his fault Jinenji was dead. He had continued to fight Naraku and Jin, being the good man that he was, had stupidly stuck up for him. And for that, he had been killed. Decapitated right in front of his very eyes.

Since it had happened, Hiten had been afraid to close his eyes, for the burning image of the blade slicing through his friend's neck was forever etched into his mind. He flinched again when a drop of water fell from the cave ceiling and slid down his back.

His skin had become hypersensitive to everything around him. The simplest breeze sent him into spasms of pain and the smallest drop of water felt like a knife along his back. He had read once, about the seven most perfect ways to torture someone. Or was it five, he never really could remember.

There was bludgeoning, which included being beaten with a blunt object, usually to break your fingers or your kneecaps. Then the opposite of bludgeoning, cutting, which entailed being sliced with unusually sharp knives. Extreme hot and cold, like being stuck with a hot poker and then dunked into freezing water. Oh bugger, what were the rest again? Why am I even thinking about this... ?'

He jerked again when another breeze blew past him, clenching his teeth in pain.

XXX

Coming from Inuyasha's bedroom, Kagome sighed and hung her head. What were they going to do? Heading for the living area, she glanced toward Jakoutsu. Catching his eyes she motioned with her head for him to come and join her. They took seats opposite each other on the beds.

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about Kagome?" He asked first, obviously still upset over their findings even though he had never met the man.

"Do you think you could examine Jinenji?" She made a face. "Or what there is of him at least?"

"I don't know what you think we'll find.

"If my hunch is right…there may just be something that could help us." She said, sighing.

"What are you talking about?" he looked questioningly at her, cocking his head to the side.

"I don't know…I just…have this feeling." She continued to clench and unclench her hands in an effort to ease her anxiousness.

"Well…okay…I guess I could do it. Do you think you can lend me some of your kitchen knives? And I'll need a sanitary place to work…" Trailing off, Jakoutsu went over the list of things he'd need in his head.

"Done." Kagome said, rising from the bunk. "We need to do this as soon as possible."

XXX

A short while and many disgusted faces later, found Kagome, Inuyasha, Jakoutsu, Bankoutsu and Ayame in the ice room of their small fishing vessel. In front of them lay Jinenji's head and several impossibly sharp knives.

"Are you sure you want to be here for this Kagome?" Ayame turned to look at the girl; the poor cook was starting to look a little green around the gills.

"Yeah." She nodded her head vigorously, after all this was her idea.

"Alright, lets get started shall we?" Jakoutsu began. He wore large yellow rubber gloves and an apron, borrowed from Inuyasha. This was after all, a fishing boat.

Taking the head he set it back so it faced the ceiling. Checking the eyes, nose and ears Jakoutsu determined there was the possibility of hypothermia, and a definite lack of water and nourishment.

"That's all fine and dandy but where's the stuff that's supposed to help us?" Inuayasha asked gruffly, arms crossed over his chest and clearly showing he was not comfortable with this situation. Jakoutsu gave him a pointed look and continued checking the back of Jinenji's head for any signs of trauma.

"COD is decapitation."

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Inuyasha voiced.

"He may have had his head cut off but that doesn't mean he couldn't have died from something else. Plus…it's procedure. You know what they say…old habits die hard Yashie-poo." Batting his eyelashes at the half demon, he turned back to his work checking Jinenji's mouth. Inuyasha visibly shuddered before letting out a "Keh" in response.

A frown worked its way over the medical examiner's face. Lifting back Jinenji's tongue, they could see a folded white envelope.

"What the fuck?" Inuyasha leaned closer to the table, gagging a little at the stench of decay. Taking the envelope from its hiding spot, Jakoutsu proceeded to unfold it and place its contents on the stainless steal table before him.

XXX

"They've discovered his head." A clearly feminine voice said from behind a decorative fan.

"Good." A smooth malicious chuckle slid over the woman's skin and she shuddered in disgust. A groan from the floor made them both look down at the unconscious figure there. The man's handy work clearly displayed in the various burns, bruises and cuts. A look of pity crossed the woman's faced before quickly being hidden away.

"Kanna, come." A small girl stepped from the shadows at his orders, dressed completely in white and clutching a small mirror.

"Yes, master Naraku?" She asked, her voice a mere whisper. "What is it you wish to see?"

"What have they done with their discovery?" His eyes were alight with malicious intent and just a hint of glee.

Flashing her mirror an image became clear of the group standing around the table. It was obvious two of the young men were arguing, before the one with the gloves turned back to the dismembered head. A frown crossed his features as the mirror continued to scan the other occupants of the room.

"Kagura you told me they were dead."

"I thought they were. I could not find them…I figured they would soon die anyway." Lying, she tried to hide her deceit.

"Do not lie to me, you who knows what I am capable of." His frown deepened.

"I apologize master." She bowed her head to hide her disgust.

"Be sure it does not happen again. It is…unfortunate…however, that we now have a new problem. Take care of it." Naraku turned back to the mirror as it scanned over the face of a young woman. "Stop. Who is this girl?"

Looking towards the mirror Kagura replied, "Her name is Kagome."

A new smile appeared on his face, wiping all traces of the frown away. It lit his eyes with something dark and sinister. Something nightmares are made of. This however was no nightmare but a sick reality. His eyes glowing, he turned away from the mirror. Waving his hand he dismissed his servants and turned back to the man upon the floor. A new fire was alight within his veins.

XXX

A group of extremely bored humans and demons sighed collectively. The children had quieted down and passed out some time ago. Having heard of the death both had been extremely upset and had tired themselves out with crying.

The adults however, could not sleep, and not having been allowed down into the makeshift autopsy room, they were stuck with nothing to do but wait. Kouga groaned and slapped a hand to his face. "This is absolutely maddening." He groaned.

"I agree my friend." Miroku said, slumped in a corner of the room.

"So…what are we supposed to do?" Sango asked this was becoming increasingly frustrating. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream and she wanted, most of all, to hand Naraku a very bloody, very violent death.

"Are there any materials on this stupid island we could use to repair the damages?" Kouga suddenly asked, looking to Ayumi and Eri.

"Um…yeah…I guess. We used things from around the island to build our tree-house." Eri said, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Are you saying we should try repairing Tetsusaiga?" Miroku perked from his position.

"Well…it's worth a shot. I know I don't want to stay on this god forsaken island for the rest of my life." He looked pointedly at Miroku and grumbled, "If I even make it that long…" under his breath.

Rubbing his chin and trying to look distinguished, Miroku finally agreed that it was worth a shot. Shrugging he stood from his spot on the floor and headed for the stairs.

"Wait where are you going? Shouldn't we tell Inuyasha?" Hojo asked looking a little worried.

"Hojo's right." Sango voiced, "We should tell Inuyasha where we're going."

"I'll go tell dog-breath." Kouga said rising from his spot on the couch. All of a sudden the lights flickered and burnt out. The small bit of light coming from the outside was the only thing they could see by and Eri and Ayumi started to panic and Hojo attempted to calm them.

They could hear Inuyasha cursing a blue streak from below. Sango and Miroku glanced at each other and then back at Kouga. He merely shrugged.

"Someone should go check it out." Ayumi whispered, frightened, from her spot in Hojo's shoulder.

Heaving a sigh Kouga walked passed Miroku and up the stairs.

XXX

A few minutes later Kouga joined Inuyasha from his spot next to the generator. Seeing the frown on Inuyasha's face he asked, "What's the matter? Why'd the power go out?"

"Generator's busted." He said rising from his spot kneeling next to it. Kicking the burnt out piece of machinery he grumbled some more.

"So what are we gonna do now?" Kouga asked.

"Hell if I know." He replied.

**End Author's Note**: It seems like all Shippou and Kirara do is sleep. Haha. I guess I just don't know what to do with them.

Soundtrack for this Chapter:

The Sleeping: Don't Hold Back

Fightstar: Paint Your Target

Number One Gun: You Fail Sometimes

Vanna: A Dead Language For A Dying Lady ( I loveloveLOVE Vanna. So yummy)

Next Time on A Killer In Hindsight: Said The Spider To The Fly


	10. Said The Spider To The Fly

**A Killer In Hindsight**

Chapter 9: Said The Spider To The Fly

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha and Co. All rights reserved for Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own Said The Spider To The Fly by Mary Howitt.

"Speech"

Thoughts"

OOO - Flashback

XXX - Change in Scene or POV

A clawed hand, smeared with oil, appeared from behind the generator. Inuyasha grunted and wiggled his fingers.

"I can't read your mind you know…" Miroku trailed off and heaved a sigh when the captain only grunted again.

"I need the wrench." His voice was slightly muffled and he crouched to get a better position. Grabbing the wrench from the toolbox beside him, Miroku sighed again. Inuyasha pushed himself up from behind the generator to look at the distracted man.

"What's on your mind?" He finally asked.

"Why would you think anything's on my mind?" Miroku blinked.

"Because…you just gave me a screwdriver, I asked for a wrench…and you keep sighing…. so spill." Inuyasha placed the screwdriver back and picked up the wrench, wheeling himself back underneath the heavy piece of machinery.

"What do you think is going to happen to us?" He finally asked, after a few minute of listening to Inuyasha tinker.

"What?" came his clueless answer.

"What do you think will happen to us? Do you think we're ever going to get off this island?" Miroku took a glance at his half-demon friend.

"Why would you ask that? You know we're going to get off this island…or die trying." Miroku didn't hear the last part but sighed again anyway.

"If we ever do get off…I think I'm going to ask Sango out." He continued to stare at Inuyasha's feet as the shuffled again, trying to push him further behind the generator.

The half-demon grunted again and cursed, "Dammit all to hell!"

"What? Is something wrong?" Miroku asked, peeking underneath to get a better look at the captain.

"I just realized how much work it's gonna take to get this oil out of my hair." Miroku chuckled; you could always count on Inuyasha to lighten the mood.

XXX

Kagome hummed silently to herself, cracking open another coconut. Earlier, she had begged Inuyasha enough to let her go out and grab a few of the coconuts lying on the beach, under his ever-watchful eye of course.

It had been two days since the discovery of Jinenji's head and what lay tucked in his mouth. The young cook shivered at the memory.

OOO

Jakoutsu had just emptied the envelope and pieces of a picture fluttered to the table, along with a small piece of paper. They had pieced the picture together enough to realize it was the one that Kagome had discovered missing, when they had first found out Jinenji had been taken.

Maya's smiling face gleamed up at her and Kagome felt tears spring to her eyes; she had been so preoccupied with staring at the pieces of the picture she hadn't noticed Jakoutsu pick up the paper.

"It's a note." He said astonished, and the other's crowded around him to see what it said. It was written in neat, beautiful, calligraphy and Jakoutsu noticed a small spider emblem at the top right hand corner. Clearing his throat he began reading.

"_If you are reading this note it means you have found the first to die of your crew._

_You must leave, repair your vessel or what remains of you will meet the same fate at my master's hand. I will help you as much as I possibly can, for if he knows of my deceit I will surely wish for a quick and painless death. Oh, if only I were so lucky._

_Heed my warnings, if you wish to live, leave."_

"So what, there's someone on the inside who's helping us?" Inuyasha asked rubbing his chin.

"It looks to be that way." Bankoutsu answered.

OOO

Someone may be trying to help them, but it certainly didn't make her feel any better. Kagome went back to pouring the milk from the coconuts into a blender, with some ice cream and strawberries, thankfully the small piece of machinery was battery powered. The boat had become increasingly hot since the generator had gone kaput.

Pressing the puree button and letting the noise of the blender fill her mind, Kagome jumped when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Spinning, she came face to face with Ayame.

"Are you alright?" the wolf demoness asked.

"Yeah…I just…" Sighing, she hung her head.

"You're scared?" Ayame hopped onto the counter, Kagome nodded her head in the affirmative. Going back to blending her smoothies, her hand twitched when the demoness spoke again. "You wanna talk about it?"

She shrugged and let her finger off the metallic button. "When I signed on for this, I definitely wasn't expecting anything like…well…. _this_. This whole, being hunted down and tortured and people ending up dead…it's just…overwhelming. I just can't wait to get home and see my brother." She felt tears spring to her eyes again. Shaking her head, her hands came up to rest over her mouth as she choked back a sob.

"Shhhh…everything's going to be okay…" Ayame rubbed her back and she leaned against the counter. Sango came out from her shower at that moment, towel drying her hair.

Seeing Kagome she asked, "Is everything alright?" Kagome wiped at her eyes and cheeks, sweeping away the tears. She looked at Sango and nodded.

"Hey…where is everybody?" Ayame finally asked, taking a glance around the boat.

"I think they're all down in the ice room, trying to cool off." Sango said, ambling over to them and taking a seat next to Ayame on the counter. "Are those for us?"

Kagome took a glance at the somewhat forgotten smoothies; condensation was forming on the outside of the blender. Nodding her head, she went and grabbed some cups from a cupboard.

"So…." Ayame started, clearing her throat.

"So…" Sango said, glancing between the wolf demoness and the cook.

"Yeah…" Kagome finally said, staring down into her drink. Wouldn't it be fabulous if she could get her hands on some rum that would make the smoothies so much better.

A bang and thump from below them had all three girls staring at the floor.

"What do you think they're doing down there?" Ayame asked.

"Probably wrestling over who gets the biggest block of ice." Sango laughed, which made Kagome laugh, and in turn, made Ayame laugh. They sat there sipping their smoothies and laughing for a short time before coming into a comfortable silence.

"You think if we get out of this Kouga will ask me out?" Ayame's smile spread as her two newest friends' laughter filled the air yet again. They both nodded enthusiastically, no girl could pass up talking about boys.

XXX

Red eyes gleamed from between the ample leaves of one of the many large trees on the island. A small smile flitted over graceful features, flashing deadly sharp fangs. As far as she could tell they were far too busy being scared to come out and face her.

A fan fluttered and the figure was brought gracefully to the deck of the small fishing vessel. Her feet barely made a sound as they touched the splintered wood.

XXX

Inside Kagome tensed suddenly, stopping mid-sentence.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked, looking on in concern

"I don't know…but I think we should get Inuyasha."

"Why?" Ayame glanced at her curiously. She took another sip of her drink, changing focus from the worried cook to the bottom of her glass, the demoness slurped noisily at the remnants of her smoothie.

"I just…I really think we need to get Inuyasha." Panic lined her voice and she hurried over to the intercom on the wall pressing the little gray button that said, talk'. "Inuyasha?" She called into it; her voice was heavily coated in panic now.

Inuyasha's gruff voice came through the speaker, "What?" he groused.

"Something's wrong." She was becoming hysterical now; Kagome took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out through her mouth, trying to calm herself.

"What are you talking about?" He seemed more weary then annoyed, Kagome noted with some comfort.

"I don't know…just…something doesn't feel right." She chewed on her thumbnail; it had always been a bad habit of hers when she was nervous.

"You're botherin' me because something doesn't feel right'?" Now he was annoyed.

"Please Inuyasha, just go check it out." Something was coming, she could feel it. She wasn't sure how she could feel it, she just _knew_. Kagome heard him sigh before Bankoutsu's voice came over the speaker.

"What's wrong?" He asked, only having heard parts of the conversation.

"Kagome has a feeling'." The half-demon's voice sounded mocking and Kagome felt tears prick the backs of her eyes and her nose burn, something was _wrong_. Why wasn't Inuyasha listening?

"Kagome?" Bankoutsu asked his voice concerned.

"I don't know what it is!" she was yelling now, "Just something isn't right!"

Ayame came over and rubbed the girls shoulders, the scent of fear poured off her in waves.

"Could someone just please go have a look around, just to make sure?" Sango's voice came over the intercom to the boys. They heard Inuyasha grumble before the stomping of his feet could be heard coming up from below.

XXX

Inuyasha burst from the door across from her, and they were both startled for a second, just staring at one another in shock. Kagura whipped out her fan as Inuyasha crouched into a battle ready stance. Kouga came up behind the captain, watching as he positioned himself low and ready to attack should the need arise. Bankoutsu came up beside the wolf demon, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kagura's eyes landed on him and he shivered. She grinned slightly behind her fan. Her red eyes flit back and forth between Inuyasha and Bankoutsu.

"What do you want Kagura?" Bankoutsu finally asked.

Inuyasha turned to look incredulously at him, "You know this bitch?"

Kagura chuckled and her eyes glinted in humor. She took a few steps towards the men but stopped when Inuyasha growled low at her, she watched his eyes flash with deadly intent. Her smile widened.

"I just popped in to see how you were doing." Her voice lilted from behind her fan.

"Bullshit, what do you really want?" Bankoutsu stared hard at her and she faltered just the tiniest bit under his intense stare.

"You know me too well." Sighing she paced back and forth across the broken boards of the deck. By this time Kouga and Inuyasha stood from their battle stances, to stare wearily at the demoness.

Peeking through her lashes at the three she began, "It seems Naraku has taken quite a shine to one of your crew, Inuyasha."

"Which one?" Bankoutsu simply asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Your cook, Kagome." Kagura smirked when she noticed the steam practically pouring from the hanyou's ears. The wolf demon behind him looked fairly shocked as well. Oh, this was too much fun.

"You ain't gonna get her if that's what you're here for. You'll have to go through me first." Bankoutsu turned to look at the captain, had he never been taught proper grammar?

"I'm not here to take her…not right now at least." Kagura said, glancing back at Bankoutsu.

"Kagura has been helping us avoid Naraku." He explained. Kouga and Inuyasha turned puzzled faces towards him.

"Does that mean she's the one that wrote the note?" Inuyasha asked, turning to regard the demoness not even six feet from him.

"What note?" Kagura turned on him suddenly interested. Her eyes passed over the captain and then over Bankoutsu and back over to the captain.

"There was a note found in Jinenji's mouth when he was… returned' to us." Bankoutsu said.

"I didn't write it." The demoness said finally, after a long pause.

"Well, then who did?" Kouga piped from the back.

"What did it say?" She regarded the three in front of her with a critical eye.

"Just that if we want to live we need to leave the island." Kouga said. Kagura's eyes turned thoughtful.

"So, it wasn't you?" Bankoutsu asked.

"No, but I will look into this." With that she turned away from them and threw her feather into the air, quickly taking to the skies.

"Why didn't you tell us about her before?" Inuyasha suddenly turned on the contemplative human.

"I don't know." Bankoutsu shrugged and headed back inside, Inuyasha and Kouga just watched him go.

XXX

Shortly after she had called Inuyasha to go check out the upper deck, everyone had ambled upstairs and now sat awaiting their return. Kagome pounced on the three when they came down the stairs.

"So?" she asked, glancing eagerly between the three men.

"So what?" Inuyasha shrugged and plopped onto the couch.

"Was there anything up there?" She asked again, anxious.

"It was Kagura." Bankoutsu said from where he leaned against a wall. All eyes turned on him. He seemed to be the only one who was going to talk about what had happened.

"What did she want?" Ayame asked, still perched atop the counter. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Wait, back it up…who's Kagura?" Miroku asked, he stood from his position on the floor playing checkers with the children, he was losing anyway.

"She…helped us out a few times. She works for Naraku but she's completely against him." Eri absently explained her eyes were trained on Bankoutsu's form, waiting for him to reveal what had happened.

"She just came to warn us that Naraku has picked his next target." He stared down at his feet and shuffled them slightly.

"Who?" Hojo asked, his sandy brown hair falling to cover his eyes. He lifted a hand to sweep them back.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said, staring hard at the young cook. She froze and her eyes became wide with fear.

XXX

A dark chuckle filled the small cave and another crack' could be heard as the whip met flesh again. Tearing it open as blood pooled in the fresh wounds. Hiten tensed in preparation for another lashing. None came and he chanced a look over his shoulder. The whip came down to meet the flesh of his face and he screamed.

"That will be all for now." The man raised a hand and waved it slightly in a dismissive gesture as two hulking men stepped from the shadows to drag Hiten away. Naraku watched as he fought the entire way.

"Kanna." His voice filled the nooks and crevices of the cave. Naraku watched in satisfaction as the small girl melted away from the shadows, the mirror clutched close to her belly, her eyes wide and completely empty.

"Show me the girl." He smiled again, and a crazed glint lit his eyes. Kanna lifted her mirror and the surface shimmered before showing a picture of Kagome. Her eyes were wide and she looked as if she was going to cry. Something malicious flashed in his eyes and the small demon before him shivered.

XXX

Kagome's eyes widened even larger if possible when she heard a voice enter her mind. _Will you walk into me parlor said the spider to the fly. Tis the prettiest little parlor you ever may spy._ _The way into my parlor is up a winding stair, and I have many curious things to show when you are there. Oh no, no, said the little fly; to ask me is in vain, for who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again__…'_ The voice trailed off and she had to grip the edges of the counter to support herself. Her knees had suddenly gone so week.

**End Author's Notes**: So, I'm a bit on edge about the way I'm portraying Kagura. Oh well. A bit more dramatic than I'd like, but I guess it's okay.

Soundtrack for Chapter 9:

Atreyu: Falling Down

When Two Are One

Bayside: Devotion And Desire

Brand New: Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades

Next Time on A Killer In Hindsight: When It Rains, It Pours


	11. When It Rains, It Pours

**A Killer In Hindsight**

Chapter 10: When It Rains, It Pours

Disclaimer: I have never, nor will I ever, own Inuyasha and Co.

"Speech"

Thoughts'

OOO - Flashback

XXX - Break in scene or POV

**Warning:** This story is rated for a reason. It gets a little gory towards the end. If you wish to skip that paragraph, when you see MMM go to the next section.

They had been stranded on the island for approximately a week. Inuyasha had eventually come to the conclusion that no one had received their mayday report. It would be another two weeks before anyone would notice they were even gone, when they would miss their docking date at the first port.

Bringing his shirt to his face, the young captain wiped at the sweat forming on his brow. He grunted and heaved the stack of boards in the direction of the Tetsusaiga. The crew had come to the conclusion that if they ever wanted to leave the stupid island then they need to repair the boat.

He had done some more work on the generator, not that it helped any, all he had discovered was he would need to replace some of the parts should he ever want it to work again. With that in mind, he had started working on the engine, which fared far better than the generator.

He and Kouga had been reduced to mules, seeking out the things they would need and carrying them back, like tearing apart the old tree house for its boards. Bankoutsu and Miroku waited for them back at the boat, to begin the process of preparing the wood for the boat. It was well into the afternoon now, and this was the stack of boards.

Finally the beach came into view, and with it, the boat. Kouga had beaten him back, and he scowled, that mangy wolf would never let him live this down. All thoughts of Kouga ceased to exist as soon as Inuyasha saw Kagome. His appreciative eyes roamed her body as she walked down the plank to the others, a large tray filled with cool drinks, in her hands.

Her tank top clung to her with sweat, and her shorts rode a little higher revealing just that much more of her legs. Swallowing hard, he heaved the stack again, coming into view of the others. Kagome smiled in welcome as soon as her eyes came across his sweaty form. Taking a quick sniff of himself, Inuyasha wrinkled his nose in distaste.

Kagome waved him over and he dropped the stack into the sand, causing it to spray. "Would you like a drink?" Her soft voice hung the air, and she lifted a glass towards him. All he could do was stare and nod as he took the cool glass from her.

Taking an elastic hair-band from her wrist, Kagome proceeded to tie her hair back. "This heat is horrible; it's totally ruining my hair." She wiped a hand across her forehead.

"What the hell are you doing out here? You should be inside where it's _safe_." He stressed the last word and scowled at the girl in front of him.

"Oh hush, I'm fine. Naraku's not going to come around when I have you guys here to protect me." She smiled exclusively at the captain. His frown only deepened and he turned away to hide the blush that suddenly burned his cheeks. Or was it the sun? He wasn't really sure anymore.

"Feh."

Miroku raised a brow but didn't question any further; they had an audience after all. And knowing the hanyou the way he did, he bet the captain would not appreciate his questions right now. A loud rumbling from above them caused the small group to look up. Dark clouds had gathered in the sky, and a few fat raindrops were starting to fall.

"Aww fuck…" Inuyasha grumbled and rubbed at his nose when a cool drop landed on it. "I'll check the lines and make sure the boats tied down good." Making his way up the beach, he stopped at the tall palm that the boat had been tethered too since they had reached the island. The line was starting to wear, and with the looks of the storm, he figured he'd need another line, to keep everything secure.

"Hey Miroku!" He yelled back at the man. Miroku grabbed a tarp from the deck of the boat and tied it securely around the few stacks they had. Looking up at his name, he signaled that Inuyasha had his full attention. "We're going to need another line!" The winds picked up and kicked sand around them.

Kagome reached her hands up to cover her face and keep sand from her eyes. Grabbing the tray and glasses, she hurried back up the plank and inside to the safety of the cabin. Inuyasha ducked deeper into the trees, taking cover from the harsh winds and the rain that had just started to pelt the ground. Miroku came running back, already soaked to the bone, one end and the coil of the rope in hand.

"Here!" He shouted, shoving the length at Inuyasha. They weren't even two feet away and they had to yell at each other just to be heard. Wrapping the rope around a small cluster of trees, Inuyasha gave the thumbs up to Miroku.

Bankoutsu and Kouga had already made a mad dash indoors and Inuyasha and Miroku closely followed their example.

XXX

Kagome jumped again, when another crack of thunder sounded and a bright flash of lightning followed. Another wave crashed against the Tetsusaiga, and she grabbed at the arm of the couch.

"You know what? I think I'll make us some dinner…" The raven-haired girls' voice cracked and she stood on shaky legs. Another wave crashed against the boat, and they all felt it shift against the sand, the weight of it pulling against its ties. Kagome wobbled a little more before making her way back into the kitchen and grasping onto the edge of the counter as if it was her lifeline.

Taking a bungee cord from under the sink, she secured her flashlight in a place where it could illuminate her entire workspace. Opening the refrigerator door, she wrinkled her nose. Without the cool of the fridge, the heat of the day had curdled the milk. Her lettuce heads were wilted and the cheese was looking particularly inedible.

Sighing, she reached into the cupboards and pulled out a pot and portable burner. Ramen it was. Setting up the burner and taking a lighter from under the sink, she lit the hot plate. In her experience it was always good to have another heat source to cook on. You just never knew what could happen.

Running some water into the pot, at least they still had running water; she set the pot onto the burner to boil. Another wave shifted the boat, and she eeped' when the cook-top slid a little. Grabbing some clamps from under the counter, she proceeded to clamp the burner in place.

Shippou and Kirara had been settled down in one of the bunks with a flashlight and a gameboard. Occasional giggling could be heard from their general direction. Inuyasha was spread out on the couch, with Miroku barely squeezed in on the end. Bankoutsu and Jakoutsu just in front of the couch, discussing, or rather flirting on Jakoutsu's part, with the captain and the deckhand above them.

Hojo had said something about double-checking the first aid kits and a few mutterings could be heard from the closet down the hall. Kouga laid spread eagle in the center of the living area, and Sango, Eri, Ayumi and Ayame all sat around in a circle just to the side of the sweaty wolf demon.

The water started boiling and she ripped open the packages, dumping the noodles into the pot. Clutching at her head, she let out a small gasp. It felt like someone was trying to crack her skull open and succeeding. She clenched her eyes shut, a few tears slipped from her lashes, and she grit her teeth. The grinding echoed in her head and proceeded to make the pain worse.

Inuyasha's ears pricked towards the kitchen when he first heard her gasp, thinking maybe she just burned herself. He looked over when he smelt the salt of tears. His brow furrowed in concern and he rose to a sitting position. He watched as she promptly passed out.

XXX

He shivered in fear and anticipation of what was to come. He could hear the pounding of the rain, and the howling of the wind. He shivered again, this time from the cold breeze that blew past. The swish of a fan could be heard, and he was immediately alerted to her presence.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you." Her voice resounded in his ears; the sound was hollow and void of emotion. He chanced a glance in her direction. Her red eyes glowed like embers in the dark. He merely grunted and returned to staring at the rocky surface beneath him.

"You know you're going to die, correct?" He could detect a faint sadness in her voice, like she really didn't want to do what she was about to do.

"Yes." Was his only reply. Another cold breeze blew by and it aggravated his tender flesh. His face burned with fever but he shivered with cold. Pity lined the eyes of the woman before him and she frowned. "Make it quick, if you can." His voice was rough with disuse and he quickly glanced at her to see that she had heard him. Surprise, clearly evident on her face, he quickly turned back to staring at the small streams of water flow by him.

"I will try." She said in response. He again, shivered in anticipation, this was his end. I will finally be with you again, brother.' And just like that, his heart ceased to beat, and the crimson, which gave him life, reflected brightly in the demoness' eyes. The small white-haired girl in the corner went unnoticed.

XXX

Gasping for breath, Kagome bolted into an upright position clasping her neck, she knocked skulls with another person. An "Ow, dammit" confirmed Inuyasha was the unfortunate victim.

"Kagome are you okay?" Sango asked, from somewhere to her right.

"Do you need bandages? An ice pack maybe?" Hojo sounded, from somewhere behind her. She felt hands grab her and help her to unsteady feet.

"What happened?" she finally asked, rubbing at the spot where she had connected with the captain.

"You fainted." Came Inuyasha's gruff reply. Rubbing at her eyes, she blinked a couple times before the room came into focus. Steadying herself against the counter, she looked sadly into the pot of burnt noodles; apparently someone had noticed the burner was going just a little too late.

"Get her some water." Ayame's voice filtered into her ears first, and then came her face. She appeared suddenly in front of the clearly shaken cook. "Are you okay?"

"I think Hiten's dead." Slapping her hands over her mouth, wide eyes flashed to the captain. She hadn't meant for that to slip out. Drats! Kagome watched his eyes narrow and a fierce rage burned inside those glowing amber orbs.

"What makes you think that?" Hojo suddenly piped, popping up next to her with a glass of water. Taking the cup from the startled boy, she gulped its contents down.

"I don't know…can I sit down?" She was starting to feel a little woozy. Ayame and Sango helped her over to the couch.

"So what makes you think Hiten's dead? He could still be alive for all we know." Inuyasha glared at her, and she flinched in response.

"You guys are going to think I'm absolutely crazy if I tell you." Kagome glanced nervously from face to concerned face. For the first time she noticed the scared little faces of Shippou and Kirara, peering up at her from their spots on the floor.

"It's okay honey, you can tell us." Ayame said. Hojo shoved another cup of water in her face and she sipped at it slowly this time. The young girl shifted in discomfort and the wolf demoness put her arm around the cooks' shoulders.

"Where do I begin?" Fiddling with her fingers in her lap, Kagome jumped in surprise at Inuyasha's gruff response.

"The beginning is a good place." It would make things so much easier if he would stop staring at her with those accusing eyes of his. The raven-haired girl shook her head and fiddled with the ends of her ponytail.

"I've been…I've been having these really strange dreams…"

XXX

An exasperated sigh sounded through the room. "How do you think we should display him?" The man spoke as if he was talking about the weather; unfortunately, he was talking about the dead deckhand that lay before him. Suddenly, his eyes sparked with an idea. "Kagura, fetch me a pole…and sharpen the end." The grotesque smile that stretched the man's features caused a shiver to run down Kagura's spine.

"Yes sir, right away." She replied. Once she had escaped the gruesome scene, she gasped desperately for air, a delicate clawed hand grabbed the cloth covering her chest.

XXX

"The night before Jinenjis' head was found…I had a horrible nightmare." Glancing at Inuyasha's face she watched recognition come to the surface of his eyes. "It was like…I was inside his head, looking out and seeing everything he saw." Kagome rubbed at her neck, just thinking about it, she could feel the cool blade against her flesh.

"It was like…when his head was…severed…I…I could _feel_ it. And just now, when I passed out. I was in Hiten's head…just before…just before…they killed him." The dam broke and a torrent of tears burst forth. Ayame shushed and rubbed her back in a soothing manner, cradling the shaking girl in her arms.

"I don't get it." Inuyasha grumped. Kagome hiccupped and stared up at him through heavy lashes laden with tears.

"She must have some kind of connection with what's going on." Miroku voiced, before the captain and the cook could start fighting.

"What kind of connection?" Eri asked and looked at Miroku.

"I'm not really sure. Kagome, has this ever happened to you before?" Everyone turned to look at her and she shook her head in the negative. "Hmmm, it must have something to do with the island. It might be like the Bermuda Triangle." He offered.

"But we're nowhere near the Bermuda Triangle." Sango pointed out.

"I know, but it's _like_ the Bermuda Triangle…maybe…I'm not really sure."

"So, there's like some kind of weird spiritual energy that's channeling Kagome?" Kouga glanced between Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha.

Miroku shrugged before responding, "Yeah, something like that."

"That's just stupid." The half-demon's scowl deepened.

"What about when she felt' Kagura before any of us did?" Shippou looked up at the grown-ups, they all looked rather startled when he spoke. He shrugged when a few of them gave him strange looks.

"Coincidence." The captain grunted and his ears twitched when Ayame turned to glare at him.

"Well, I don't think it was a coincidence. Maybe Naraku is trying to torture her emotionally, before torturing her physically." Kagome stiffened in her arms.

"Who says he's ever going to get to torture her?" Inuyasha raged.

"So… what are we gonna do?" Hojo asked looking directly at Inuyasha.

"I have no idea." The captain answered, the brutal honesty in his words hit everyone. The rain still pounded down around them.

XXX

Kagura returned with a sharpened branch from a tree. Stepping inside the cave, she was surprised to find Hiten had been stripped entirely of his skin, except for what little was left of his face. She cleared her throat to let her master know of her presence.

"Good Kagura, bring it here." He rose from his sitting position upon his throne made of the skin and bones of various victims of the past. The mottled decomposing flesh made her gag and she handed the branch to Naraku.

MMM

He continued on to shove the sharpened end through Hiten's rectum, through intestines and vital organs and all the way through brain matter and bone. The sharp tip burst through the top, glistening with thick goopy blood. The spark in Naraku's eyes intensified, and he licked the tip of the branch, savoring the coppery taste. His malicious laugh echoed through the cave.

XXX

He watched from across the room as she read to the children, her voice soft and pleasant to any ears. He felt himself starting to drift off as the sound of it washed over him. Jerking awake again, he tugged at his eyelids to keep them open.

His thoughts wandered into dangerous territory as he went through the discussion earlier in his mind. He honestly hadn't meant to be that cruel to her. Just the thought, that he had failed yet another crewmember greatly bothered him and he had become agitated. Partly because he didn't want it to be true and partly because deep down he knew she was right. He still felt guilty just thinking about the hurt in her eyes when he had tried to write off her weird dreams as if they were nothing.

The rain had stopped a short while ago, and stars twinkled merrily in the sky without a cloud in sight. He made a mental note to remember to go out in the morning and see how much damage this storm had done. He looked again at Kagome, as she hefted the two small children into her arms and carried them to their beds. He sighed, whatever was he going to do with her?

XXX

Kagome snuggled down into bed; she lay awake staring at the curtain in front of her. She knew she could try as much as she wanted but she would never go to sleep. Her fear of having another "vision", as the others had taken to calling it, kept her awake. No matter how many times they had told her, it shouldn't happen again without Naraku abducting another one of them; her gut told her that Naraku didn't need to abduct another one of them in order to telecast horrific images into her head.

She stiffened and a tingly feeling fell over her body, like when you stand up after your leg has fallen asleep and you get those pins and needles. She could hear her blood rushing in her ears, and her hands became clammy. A soft voice entered her head, the tone was almost fearful.

Can you hear me?' it had said. She nodded her head, for some reason she felt this person could see her. Good.' It answered. Now listen very carefully…'

XXX

The next morning she awoke groggy and slightly cranky. So when the others finally came away from the land of dreams, they were all fairly surprised to find the usually chipper Kagome, replaced with the grouchy girl.

"Kagome is everything all right?" Hojo asked, his clothes in his hands, he was getting ready to shower.

"Everything. Is. Fine." She grit her teeth and with each word she accentuated it with a hard chop of her very sharp knife to the poor green pepper.

Seeing as a cranky woman, with an unusually sharp object was never really a good thing to mess with, the frightened man continued on into the bathroom.

Rubbing his eyes, Shippo climbed down from his bunk, he yawned and his jaw cracked. Smacking his mouth, he settled at the table.

"Kagome I'm hungry." He whined, as every little kid does.

"Well, breakfast will be ready soon." She grit out. Oh that poor tomato, it never even had a chance. The pulp splattered and Shippo made a face.

"Are you okay?" He looked at her quizzically, as she wiped tomato juice from her face. Bankoutsu, Jakoutsu, Miroku, Sango, Kouga, Ayame and Inuyasha all rushed to the table at once, looking for prime seats. They caught Shippo's question, looked at Kagome covered in tomato slime, and turned questioning faces towards the usually cheerful cook.

"I think I'm going crazy." She sighed and the faces turned even more confused. But before anyone could say anything else a chorus from "Rubber Ducky" rattled the bathroom door and caused several fingers to be shoved into several pairs of ears before they all turned to glare at the door. And as if he could sense it from the other side, Hojo's horrendous singing stopped.

"Why would you say that?" Jakoutsu asked, still eyeing the door cautiously.

"I'm hearing voices now…"

"Are they telling you to run around naked? If they are, I suggest you listen." Sango knocked Miroku on the head for his remark. Kagome only sighed.

"Does your family have any history of mental illness? Schizophrenia maybe?" Bankoutsu said, glaring at Miroku who had the sense enough to blush.

"No, I don't think so." Kagome put the green peppers and what remained of the poor tomato in a skillet with the egg batter that was already starting to turn into fluffy yummy scrambled eggs.

"Do you think it has anything to do with the visions?" Ayame asked, watching the blue-eyed girl take some of the cheese that had yet to expire and, using a grater, shred the cheese into the pan.

"Maybe…I'm not really sure." Sighing she flipped the omelet, and nothing more was said. Hojo took that moment to emerge from the bathroom, humming the tune to "Rubber Ducky" and flinched slightly when everyone turned glares on him. What had he done now?

Author's Notes: Well there's ten. I guess it's okay. Not my best work, but it'll do.

Soundtrack for Chapter Ten:

Blessthefall: Guys Like You Make Us Look Bad

Sparks The Rescue: Nurse Nurse! (I'm Losing My Patients)

The Hush Sound: Crawling Towards The Sun

Well tell me what you think.


	12. Strange Encounters

**A Killer In Hindsight**

Chapter 11: Strange Encounters Of The Curious Kind

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha and Co. All right reserved Rumiko Takahashi. This story has no monetary value and is written purely for the enjoyment of my readers and myself. All recipes are taken from the book Flavor of The Week, which I also, do not own.

Important Note to those of you MM: You may need to re-read the meeting between Kanna and Kagome, as it has changed some.

Thought'

"Speech"

OOO - Flashback

XXX - Break in scene or POV

Stepping from the interior of the Tetsusuaiga, they observed the damage done by the storm. Inuyasha grimaced as he saw what was left of his beloved boat, more boards had been torn loose and were scattered about the beach. The door to the wheelhouse had been blown completely off its hinges and was currently nowhere in sight, however, a palm tree was sitting quite innocently in its place.

Fucking palm trees…' the hanyou thought, making his way up to said tree. Tearing the offending flora from what used to be the wheelhouse, he cringed again when he saw the damage inflicted upon the very expensive equipment.

Looking over the mangled railing, the half-demon kept watch as Kouga and Miroku went to inspect the damage done to the exterior of the boat, he silently added up the costs of the damage. The captain's eyelids became hooded and his head nodded in a desperate want for sleep. He jumped to attention when a startled "Oh shit!" was shouted from below.

"What?! What is it?!" Inuyasha hollered as he raced towards Miroku and Kouga. Coming upon the two men, the captain almost lost his breakfast. "Holy shit." His golden eyes burned as they landed on the gruesome sight that had his first mate puking in the bushes. There before him, stuck in the ground like some kind of ritual sacrifice, was Hiten, his face barely recognizable.

XXX

The small group returned inside, their faces grim and sallow. Nodding towards Jakoutsu, the group of four went back to the room that held the stainless steel table on which, they had conducted Jinenji's autopsy.

Sighing, Kagome returned to her spot in the kitchen, her thoughts flashing back to the night before and her strange dream.

OOO

She felt her pulse quicken, the tingly feeling had become more intense, and a sheen of cold sweet glistened on her body. The young girl could almost feel the breath of the "being" across the back of her neck, making the hairs on her nape and forearms stand on end.

"It is important that you listen to me very carefully…" The soft voice became urgent. Kagome nodded her head again and the feeling of being watched became almost overwhelming. "My name is Kanna. I serve the master Naraku and Kagura is my sister. Do not fear me…I am here to help you. Naraku has killed two of your crewmates and more will die by his hand. I am doing all that I can to help you. I am the one who left the note in Jinenji's mouth and I am the one who warned you of Kagura's presence."

"Why are you telling me this?" Kagome heard herself whisper.

"It is what I have forseen, I cannot tell you now. I must go." Her voice became urgent and panicked, "I will warn you when it is necessary."

OOO

She sighed and rubbed at her arms, a chill settling over her. Shaking the mysterious encounter from her head Kagome turned to check on their limited food supply.

Having thrown out everything that had become moldy or rotten, or just plain didn't look right, they were left with very little, mostly cans and packages of ramen. She knew that if they were to survive this, they would need to leave the Tetsusaiga in search of food. Just the thought of having to confront Inuyasha on the subject gave her shivers all over again.

Just then the heavy footsteps of the four men could be heard overhead. Speak of the devil…' she grumbled in her mind. Wiping at the sweat that had gathered on the back of her neck she readied herself to hear of death once again. When their grim faces appeared, the cook's thoughts flashed back to her visit from Kanna _More will die by his hand…_' she sighed and left her lonely spot on the counter to join the other's in the living room, all waiting to hear what the four men had to say.

"Well…." Jakoutsu started off, his feminine voice taking on a rough, tired, edge. Kouga plopped himself down on the floor, his face nestled in his hands. Bankoutsu blew out a puff of air and Inuyasha crossed his arms, clearly frustrated.

"Well…" Jakoutsu started again, his entire being sagging under the weight of what he was about to reveal. "I don't know what to say…he was obviously sodomized," the entire room cringed, "their were deep lacerations all the way to the bone, his right knee cap was shattered and he had several fractures to his nose and orbital bone. All in all, he showed extensive, brutal, abuse."

Goosebumps rose up on Kagome's arms, the feeling of being watched returned, but it wasn't Kanna. She wasn't sure how, but she could tell evil eyes were watching her. Her breath came in shallow she could feel the others around her, asking her if she was all right, but she couldn't answer. Whoever was watching her, didn't want her to.

XXX

"She will make such a nice addition to my collection, don't you think Kanna?" The oily voice slid over the small girls' arms to settle at the base of her spine. His red eyes glowed and he watched for her reaction.

"Yes, master." Kanna never let the concern for the woman in the mirror show, her stoic mask kept firmly in place. The glimmering surface of her oval mirror rippled and the raven-haired girl's panicked face filled the surface. A sickening joy showed in the glimmering eyes of her master.

"What a beautiful sight. How I wish I could smell her fear right now." Naraku's face became relaxed and blissful. He imagined the tiny woman with sparkling cerulean eyes before him, quaking with fear at his power, and he reveled in the image.

A cool breeze startled the gruesome man from his fantasy and his eyes snapped open in irritation. "What is it Kagura?" His tone sharp, a smirk flashed over his features at her obvious annoyance. The wind demonesses' own eyes feral, she snapped her fan closed and turned to face the rock wall surface of their most frequented hide out.

"As you obviously know by now, their most recent loss has been found." Kagura's eyes flashed to Kanna in suspicion. She'd have to get her alone later and question the void demon. The man merely hm'-ed in response to her statement. After a few moments of silence, Kagura found the courage to ask the question that had been bothering her since they beheaded the first crewmember, Jinenji. "If I may be so bold Naraku, what are you planning?"

A grin, once again, broke out across the handsome features. "That my dear Kagura, is a secret." The gleam that came to red eyes, scared the wind demoness, it was the most maniacal look she had ever seen come across his face. "Now, Kanna, show her everything…"

XXX

Images flashed unbidden behind fluttering eyelids. Kagome's heartbeat raced and she felt her skin begin to glisten with a cold sweat. People she had never seen before came to her minds eye. The screaming and the sobs of the tortured and the damned flooded her ears, drowning out any other voices. She could smell the decaying flesh of the dead, the stench so palpable that she could taste it.

The images came to a sudden halt, her head reeling with the visions. Again, she could hear the dark voice of the man named Naraku. "Are we having fun yet darling?" His chuckling penetrated her psyche and ground against neurons. A major migraine bloomed behind her eyes. Kagome resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"What do you want?" Her voice sounded hoarse and scared even to her ears; no doubt he had heard the quiver as well.

"Why you my dear, only you." She could feel his smirk and it sent goosebumps along her arms.

"Why me? What is so goddamned special about me?" The more Kagome's frustration mounted the more smug he became.

"Because I can dear. I can have anything in this world that I want." His voice was slick and greasy and she resisted the urge to gag.

"Were those all the people you've killed?"

"Isn't it impressive?" His smirk grew larger and the girl finally snapped.

"It's disgusting. You're killing my friends. You sick twisted bastard." She spat. His anger was tangible but Kagome didn't take the hint. Her voice rose with every word. "You are a sick son of a bitch."

"_Quiet._ Accept your fate _girl_." His voice mocking, "You will come to me. You will be my subservient little bitch; it's just a matter of time. Treasure what little time you may have left with your _friends_." Naraku's voice faded and she suddenly found herself able to move again. Her eyelids slid open to reveal several pairs of eyes in varying colors only inches from her face.

"What just happened?" Kagome's voice was breathy and she heard Inuyasha command someone to go get her some water.

"You passed out wench." The captain sat next to her on the couch and discretely as he could, held her hand. For her comfort or his own, neither of them were sure. A cup was shoved in her face and the girl blinked when some of the cool water sloshed over the sides to land on her neck.

Shippo's little face came into view as he peered curiously at her, the cup teetering precariously in his tiny-clawed hands. "Are you okay now?" His voice was cautious and quiet, as if speaking too loud would make her pass out again.

"Yeah, honey, I'm okay now." Her smile was easy and she took the cup from him.

"What the hell just happened?" Inuyasha's voice was gruff, but concern made his eyes glow.

"It was Naraku." Kagome sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the couch. In the process-losing grip on Inuyasha's hand, both were surprised at the disappointment they felt upon the loss.

"What do you mean?" Sango questioned, not missing the blushes and glances passed between the captain and the cook.

Shrugging, she cleared her throat before she spoke. "It was like…he was in my head.. How long was I out?"

"The entire afternoon." Eri piped from her spot on the floor near the couch. Kagome made no response but instead turned hooded eyes back to the dog-eared captain. Upon noticing he was looking at her too, they both turned away blushing. When did it get so hot in here?' The younger girl thought to herself, the heat in her cheeks was scorching. No one noticed the two children sneaking away, mischievous looks on both of their faces.

XXX

"Inuyasha and Kagome look _so_ cute together. Don't you think Shippo?" Kirara gushed, peeking through the curtains of the bunk.

"That's what I need you for Kirara. I wanna get them together. Inuyasha's kind of become…I don't know…like my big brother. And I know Inuyasha really likes her and maybe if they get married they'll…" The little blond haired girl patted the kitsune's back.

"They'll adopt you?" She asked. Shippo's bowed head nodded, he turned away, ashamed. "I'll help you get them together, if you help me with one itsy bitsy thing…" Her sentence trailed off and Shippo sat at attention ready for anything. "You need to help me get Ayame and Kouga together. She's all over him like a hobo on a ham sandwich. The girl needs to get laid." The little cat demon gave a despondent sigh and Shippo rolled his eyes.

He could see the wheel's working behind her eyes; she leaned in close to him whispering conspiratorially "So here's the plan…"

XXX

Silence clung heavily to the air like a babe to its blanket. "We really need to do something about him. I don't care what it is but action needs to be taken in the very near future." Kouga's voice was gruff as it passed over the rooms' occupants. Some jumped at the sudden sound, several nodded in response.

Ayame absently noted the little ones weren't with them, figuring they went off to play another one of their card games; she shrugged and turned her attention back to Kouga. He was one fine specimen of the male variety. If only he wasn't so darn cocky…' she thought to herself, eyes glazing.

"This is probably not the best time to bring this up, but…" Kagome trailed off, her gaze switching from the ceiling to her hands, wringing in her lap. "We're going to need to leave the boat soon in search of food." She held her breath, waiting for the violent response from their captain.

"What do you mean woman? There's plenty of ramen left." The young cook rolled her eyes, typical Inuyasha.

"Contrary to your belief, ramen is not a food group and we can't live off of it." Blue eyes snapped and clashed with his own amber.

"So what are you suggesting Kagome, that we risk our lives in search of food?" Sango's voice broke the two out of their heated staring contest. The deckhand could only imagine the fight that would ensue if she let them continue at it. When Kagome's head nodded in the affirmative the room became deathly quiet again.

"Every time we leave someone else gets abducted." Hojo's protest showed his obvious fear.

"I know, but that's only when we split up, if we're all together there's less chances of someone being taken. Besides, Ayame and the other's know this island like the back of their hand, they would know the best places to find food. I don't know about you guys but I can't take much more ramen." All eyes whipped from the cook to the wolf demoness, Kagome had a point.

"Feh, I've lived off the stuff for the last twenty years." Inuyasha pouted.

"And it shows." Bankoutsu's witty remark earned a glare from the sulking captain.

"It isn't gonna kill you. Leaving this boat is what's gonna kill you." His frustration and lack of sleep made Inuyasha snappy. He made a solid point as well; the crew was torn between leaving in search of food and possibly being abducted, and staying on board where they'd stay alive.

"It hasn't killed you _yet_. Heaven knows I'll kill myself if I have to eat anymore of that junk." Everyone nodded collectively, Kagome made yet another valid point.

"Look, we'll talk about this later. Let's take this one thing at a time. Right now we have some sustenance, let's not leave until we really need to. I think first and foremost we need to make the repairs to the boat." Miroku, always the peacemaker'. Sango blushed at her thoughts, switching her gaze from the man in the purple shirt to the captain who seemed to be mulling the thought over.

"Miroku's right, let's fix this piece of junk and then we'll worry about food." Inuyasha scowled even more at Kouga's remark.

Rising up from the couch, Inuyasha took Miroku, Kouga, and Bankoutsu down to collect every hammer, nail, bolt and nut they could find. Hojo checked on the children, finding them secure in Shippo's bunk playing Monkey Shoes, he retreated to his own bed to finish his book.

It was silent in the living room; the girls and Jakoutsu huddled around the couch. Jakoutsu's thoughts drifted to a certain dog-eared captain and a sigh left him. The others turned to look at him, pouncing on the chance to have some real girl talk.

"Those ears." The only words that passed his lips and yet everyone knew exactly what he was talking about. Kagome blushed, oh yes those ears, those hands, those eyes. Fanning herself with her hand she tried to cool her over-heated cheeks.

"So, what's going on between you and our fair captain?" Sango asked. The younger girl's cheeks flushed even more, the pretty pink color turning a dark shade of red. Jakoutsu's eyes flashed in playful jealousy and Kagome stammered out a rather pitiful "nothing!"

"Nothing my ass…" Sango scoffed.

"Well, what about you and Miroku, Sango? Or you and Kouga, Ayame?" The raven-haired girl huffed and crossed her arms, leaning heavily into the back of the couch. Said girls, responded with blushes similar to Kagome's.

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Jakoutsu threw up his arms in exasperation. "How is it that you three can get a man, but I can't? It just isn't fair!" He wailed.

"Well what about you two?" Sango asked turning to Ayumi and Eri. "Do you guys have boyfriends back home or anything?"

Eri looked to the ground and pulled at her left ring finger. Ayumi looked towards the ceiling and then at Eri. "I was engaged. I doubt he's still waiting for me though." Eri sighed and her shoulders slumped.

"Now that can't be true. You two loved each other didn't you?" Kagome asked her eyes alight with curiosity.

"Well yeah, I guess I did. I think he really just wanted me for my money though." Tugging at a lock of hair that had fallen in her face the despairing girl tucked it behind her ear.

"Details girl!" Sango screamed, this was definitely more fun that talking about stinky old Naraku.

"Well I am, or I was, an architect. Which brings in a lot of money by itself, but my family is also extremely wealthy and I stand to inherit millions. He insisted there was no prenuptial; he told me I could trust him. But if I were to say have a horrible accident, all of my money would automatically go to him. I had my will drawn up by the family lawyers when I first started dating him, so that if some unfortunate event did occur, he wouldn't be able to get his grubby little hands on my familys money."

"You don't trust very easily do you?" Jakoutsu stated dryly.

"No, not really." She stated primly, a product of her upbringing. "Ayumi and Yuka are the only real friends I've ever had." At the look Ayame gave her she added, "and of course you Ayame. I couldn't forget about you."

"Well, now I'm depressed." Kagome sighed. "Who wants chocolate?"

"I thought you said we were out of everything but ramen?" Ayumi looked to the now standing girl. The cook had the decency to blush before saying, "Well, I may have a little stash, but only for emergencies and this definitely qualifies as an emergency." She grinned before heading back into the kitchen to rifle through some of the cabinets.

"What about you Ayumi? Any boys back home waiting for you?" Sango shifted her position on the couch to get a better angle to see the meek girl.

"Well no…" She trailed off, her shy personality getting the best of her.

"She likes Hojo." Eri stated boldly, nudging the quiet girl in the ribs. Ayumi blushed and thanked Kagome when she handed her a candy bar.

"Isn't he gay?" The cook asked, handing out the rest of the candy bars.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised." Sango voiced, taking a large bite from the chocolately gooey goodness.

"Hey! There you go Jak, you could go out with Hojo." Ayame smiled and threw a pillow in his direction, missing him completely.

"Not my type." He said before throwing the pillow back. They laughed for a bit, tossing pillows around.

"What attracted you to him anyway?" Sango asked pulling a white downy feather from her long ponytail.

"He's nice." Eri rolled her eyes before telling the real truth.

"She thinks he has a cute butt." Grinning wildly, the bold girl dodged Ayumi's punch and the two fell over in a heap of tangled limbs.

"I do not!" She protested before pulling herself from the knot of body parts they had created.

Laughing, they continued to chat until the sun dipped below the horizon and a chill settled over the island.

Author's Note: So I'm guilty of not focusing all of attention on AKIH. I'm actually working on my next story (The Murder Game, summary on profile page). I have about five chapters of that done. I won't be posting it until I've completed this though. I'd confuse myself. Never fear though, I will complete this, even if it kills me.

Next time on A Killer In Hindsight: Daniel, Where's The Boat?


	13. Daniel, Where's The Boat?

A Killer In Hindsight

Chapter 12: Daniel, Where's The Boat?

**Disclaimer**: Tell me why I'm still doing this? I do not own Inuyasha and Co. All rights reserved Rumiko Takahashi.

"Speech"

Thought'

OOO - flashback

XXX - Change in scene or POV

Of course we have to do this the old fashioned way, because it would be _way_ too easy for Inuyasha to actually own a power tool.' Miroku's sarcastic thoughts were directed at his captain and best friend with a single withering glare. When the dog-eared man didn't even flinch, he returned to his thoughts and his hammering.

The sun was high, and he deduced it was close to noon. Wiping the sweat from his brow to the back of his forearm, Miroku tiredly peeled his purple shirt from his entirely too sweaty body. The only thoughts in his mind now, I hope I don't get a sunburn.'

Inuyasha snuck a peek down at the other's, his need for everything to be perfect, coming forth. Miroku was on the deck, hammering in the new planks. Kouga was down by the hull, attempting to patch up the holes with a blowtorch, bolts, and a few pieced of scrap metal. It didn't look very much like he was succeeding either, he'd have to go back over and fix the mangy wolf's half-ass job. The half-demon's eyes shot to Bankoutsu's position, where it looked like his hammer came down a little too hard on _another_ one of his fingers.

Shoving at his mop of silver hair, Inuyasha groused. It was too hot to have such thick hair; he'd have to remember to tell Kagome to cut it later. His thoughts turning to the young cook, currently two floors underneath him, and the half-demon frowned in thought. She was…different. He barely even knew her and yet he wanted to be near her at all times.

His hands gripped the already damaged railing, twisting it even more. When the bright orange bar snapped under the force, Inuyasha was startled back to reality. Things with her were too fresh, too new, he couldn't think too much on it now. There was a mutual attraction, that much he knew, but anything deeper, it just wasn't there… Yet. But there will be soon.' The captain was brought from his musings when the door below him swung open and he could see the top of Kagome's head.

"I found the sealant." She called out. Her eyes landed on Miroku's shirtless form, then Bankoutsu, also shirtless, and looking up she found a sweaty, shirtless, half-demon staring at her. The young girl's cheeks flamed and she set the heavy cans down to fan herself.

"Thanks. You can go back inside now." Inuyasha jogged down what was left of the stairs. Making his way over, he grabbed the cans and paintbrushes. Kagome frowned at his orders. The feminist in her broke free, if only for a moment.

"What if I don't want to go back inside?"

"Don't be rebellious Kagome. It's not safe out here." Inuyasha's eyes glinted in the early afternoon sunlight. His chastisement, made her blush more, and the captain's eyes followed the spread of pink from the apples of her cheeks and down her neck to disappear under the hem of her tank top. Kagome turned on her heel, and bolted back inside to the safety of the galley.

Once inside, she let her racing heart take her over. Kagome collapsed to the floor in a rather embarrassed heap. Sango merely spared her a glance before returning to her book.

XXX

The sun set rose and set, once more, before Inuyasha deemed The Tetsusaiga sea-worthy again. Of course, just barely, if they encountered another storm like the one that landed them here they'd be sunk. Everyone had gathered outside in one big group to see the repairs. The work done on the hull was an eyesore, they could clearly tell the difference between the original planks and the new ones on the deck, and there was no real wheelhouse to speak of. All in all, it was a piece of junk.

The girls, Jakoutsu included, wrinkled their noses. Inuyasha and Miroku watched their response, turned to each other and shrugged. If it got them off the island, who cared what it looked like. "There are some repairs that still need to be done to the engine. I'll probably have to resort to make-shift parts, but she'll run." The captains' eyes swung along the entire length of the boat lovingly.

"Well that's great and all, but now that the boat is fixed, what are we gonna do about the food situation?" Hojo flinched when the half-demon turned a scathing glare upon him.

"Hojo's right. I've seen the cupboards, Yash, there's enough in there to last us two more days. We could never make the trip home with what we have, especially since we don't even know where we are. All our navigation equipment is damaged, we can't get a signal on the radio, there's no telling how long we'll be stuck at sea before someone finds us, that is, if we don't sink first." Miroku mumbled the last part more to self than the captain, but it still earned him a look similar to the one Hojo had just received.

Inuyasha turned his gaze to Kagome next. "I thought you said we would have enough to last a week."

The younger girl had the decency to blush and look down to her shuffling feet, the sand filling her flip-flops. "Well, I never really said a week, I said a while. Plus, I never factored in the amount of extra people and we're stretching it as it is. I've been rationing the food, and quite frankly, I'm surprised it's lasted us this long."

Everyone watched as Inuyasha's shoulders sagged and he hung his head. A clawed hand came up to rub at his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose. All these problems were giving him a major migraine. Stay and starve to death or leave and die at the hands of some maniac. Decisions, decisions.' Sometimes it was so hard to be the captain. He sighed and put an end to his morbid thoughts.

"Fine, but we do this as a group. No one is staying behind on the boat. Ayame, you and the others will show us where we can find food and fresh water. Our filters are crap with all the salt water we've been siphoning through them. We're going to spend as little time as we can out there, we're going to need big bags and something to carry the water in." Everyone stood around staring at him, Inuyasha's eye twitched in annoyance. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Get to it!" Having startled everyone into movement, he watched them all scurry like little mice back onto the boat. Sparing one last look at the tree line behind him, he made his way back onto The Tetsusaiga.

XXX

A cloud of black smoke escaped from the hose in a puff. The man, now covered in the sooty residue, coughed and grumbled. "Miroku, hand me the duck tape."

"Are you sure that's going to be enough? You know, we could probably have one of the girls' patch the hole. I'm sure one of them knows how to sew."

Inuyasha gave his first mate a weird look, he was covered in oil, grime, and now the soot from the pipe, and he did not need Miroku's paranoia right now. "Duck tape fixes everything, it makes the world go round. Now hand me that role by your feet."

"Fine, but if the engine blows up you can't pin the blame on me." The purple-eyed man shoved the role of silvery tape into the out-stretched clawed hand before returning to his own work. His wrench clanked and he paused, it was righty tighty lefty loosey, right? Miroku glanced at the man a few feet from him, thinking on whether he should bother him or not. Probably not, he looks pretty intent on his thoughts. Then again, the man used duck tape to fix a hose.' Shrugging at his own inner musings, he decided to try and figure it out himself.

Tomorrow's the day. I'm going to have to take extra caution, make sure there are more than enough safety measures, especially now that Naraku has named his next target. I'm not going to let him take her. It just…it can't happen. I won't let him take her.' Inuyasha's thoughts were interrupted when Miroku spoke up from beside him.

"This isn't working out." He huffed.

Inuyasha raised a brow and turned to look at him. "Are you breaking up with me?"

Miroku gave the captain a quizzical look, before realizing what he said. "Ha ha. You're hilarious. No, what's not working out is this stupid wrench, I think it's broken."

The half-demon gave him a dry look. "It's pretty impossible to break a wrench, Miroku."

"I know, but this it isn't working." His exasperated sigh, signaled it was Inuyasha's turn to look at it. The captain's face split in a grin, and he tried hard not to burst into laughter.

"No shit Sherlock. It's not the right size; it's not even a wrench. The look on Miroku's face had the half-demon doubled over in gut-wrenching laughter. Miroku rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Well, that would explain a lot." When Inuyasha's laughter increased to rolling on the floor till he cried, Miroku shrugged, threw down the ratchet and left the room. If he was such a mechanical genius then he could figure it out all by himself. He, however, had one very beautiful lady, to flirt with…and grope, namely, Sango. Grinning, Miroku bolted towards the living quarters.

XXX

"Kaede!" A gangly boy ran through the small house, searching for the grandmother figure he lived with. His yelling stopped when he abruptly ran into the short woman. Her gray hair pulled back, low, in a braid. An eye patch covered her bad eye, her good one searching out the youth. His messy black hair had fallen into his eyes when he hit the ground. His freckled nose was slightly scrunched as he rose, rubbing lightly at his backside with one hand.

"What is it Souta?" Kaede lowered herself back into her aged rocking chair.

"The Coast Guard just called." Souta's voice was worried and his eyes frantic. "You know how Kagome was supposed to call us when they docked to off-load?"Kaede nodded her head, her brow furrowed just slightly. "Well, they never docked. The Coast Guard tried to radio them, but there was no response. They said that the boat she was on just disappeared."

"That can't be right. A boat can't just disappear out of thin air." Her voice, rough like sandpaper, washed over him and he felt warm and safe. Her aged voice had always comforted him, even after the most horrible of nightmares and this was most certainly a nightmare.

"No, but I checked the area they were supposed to be fishing in on the internet. Apparently, there was a huge storm; there were articles that several boats had sunk in that area. What if…what if her boat sunk too? What if she's dead?" Souta's eyes searched the old woman for answers.

"Do you think she's dead?" She reached back to pull her braid over her shoulder, fingering the ends; she gazed at the boy with her one good eye.

"No. Kagome wouldn't go down without a fight. Besides, part of me, it just… _knows_ that she's still out there. She's still alive." He nodded once, confidently.

Kaede nodded. "Well then, I think you have your answer." She smiled at the boy, her own worry for her adopted granddaughter hidden in the back of her mind. Oh Kagome, please be alright.'

XXX

Ayame had two large, green, canvas bags slung across her chest. Kagome, Sango, Eri, and Ayumi were in much the same position. Shippo and Kirara carried one bag each, made of similar green canvas, but in a much smaller size. Inuyasha, at the front of the pack, carried two large five-gallon jugs. Kouga, Miroku, Hojo, Bankoutsu, and Jakoutsu, carried the same jugs.

They were all tied at the waist with an orange bungee cord. The girls and children in the middle and the boys on the ends. No one would be taken without someone knowing about it. After checking all of the knots and finding them to his satisfaction, Inuyasha nodded his head at Ayame, her signal to start giving him directions, so they could get this over as quickly as possible.

After stumbling, tripping and falling all over each other several times, they finally got the hang of walking in unison. "Is this rope really necessary?" Jakoutsu whined from his spot behind Eri and in front of Bankoutsu. "It clashes with my outfit."

"Yes, it's necessary and I really don't give a flying fuck about your outfit." The captain's ears flicked in agitation. Jakoutsu pouted but kept all further comments to himself, Paranoid, much? If only he wasn't so cute when he's angry. 'He let out a despondent sigh and stared longingly at the captain's ears.

XXX

After another twenty or so minutes of walking, Inuyasha grumbling, and Sango threatening to dismember a certain part of a certain deckhand, did they finally reach a clearing with plenty of the things they were looking for. The exotic trees were filled with exotic fruits and they could hear a spring, not too far off.

"You know Inuyasha; it is going to be particularly hard to climb the trees if we are all tied together, right?" The half-demon's eye twitched in response to Ayame's snide remark.

"I know that." He responded haughtily. Inuyasha coiled the rope as he went along the line, undoing the knots. He paused when he reached Kagome, she stared expectantly at him, his hands shook as he undid her knot and he resumed along down the line. "We're using the buddy system. No one goes anywhere alone, or without my permission, especially you Kagome." He turned to stare directly at her.

"Can we just get this over with?" Kouga asked, not happy about being out in the humidity for too long, it always made him cranky.

Two hours, several bruises, even more scratches, and a fall or two out of a tree later, they had finally collected enough food to last them, for at least another week or so. Next, was the fresh water spring. The birds were singing, they saw the occasional monkey, and Inuyasha's paranoia was finally getting to Kagome. After they had refused to be tied together for the short walk, the half-demon had taken to looking back every five seconds and now, every time he looked back she had to look back too, just to make sure.

It was harder getting to the spring than they had initially thought. The closer they came to the small body of water, the muddier the ground became, and the holes and dips made by animals didn't help much either. The air suddenly changed, becoming more humid, muggy, and just as the air changed they broke through the tree line.

The crew of the Tetsusaiga all stood and gawked, mouths hung open in awe and eyes wide in wonder. Ayame, Bankoutsu and the other's just grinned; this was their little slice of heaven on this hellish island. It felt good to see it again. Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms; his sour mood went unnoticed by the rest of the crew.

The towering waterfall sounded like thunder in their ears, the mist coating them in a fine sheen of water. The falls spilled down into a small lake, blue and clear, rippling slightly with the movement of the fish. Birds circled overhead, their calls drowned out by the noise of the falls. The surface of the spring was littered with brightly colored flower blossoms; it was something straight out of a storybook.

"Wow." Kagome's whispered exclamation didn't go unnoticed and Ayame turned her happy grin to the astonished girl.

"Beautiful isn't it? This is Kioko Falls, Bankoutsu named this place in memory of Kirara's mother." She whispered to the younger girl, her breath tickling Kagome's ear. Bankoutsu shot them a suspicious look from his place near Jakoutsu, the wolf demoness shrugged and smiled at him.

"Can we get this over with already?" Inuyasha's harsh bark, startled them all, and Kagome had to brace herself against Ayame in order to regain her bearings. Pressing a hand over her heart she shot the captain a glare that went completely unnoticed.

Inuyasha, Kouga, Bankoutsu, Jakoutsu, Miroku and Hojo, crouched low on the bank of the spring, setting to work filling each of their containers. Shippou and Kirara took everyone's canteens to fill with new water. The girls hung back, all of them gathered at the base of one of the huge trees surrounding the area.

"Ayame have you ever tried to catch any of the fish?" The raven-haired girl looked on curiously at the ripples in the pond. The cook in her insisting they try to catch some of the brightly colored aquatic animals.

"When we first got here yes, but they're unusually quick. Even those of us with demon abilities couldn't catch the little suckers. I admit we didn't really try all that hard, the birds were easier to catch. Eventually we just gave up on the fish, and we got by on birds. They were surprisingly delicious for exotic animals. The only birds I had ever eaten were duck, turkey, and chicken. I never really liked them either, more of a beef gal myself." The rest of Ayame's rambling went unnoticed. Blue eyes much the same color of the spring sparkled with a cunning plan.

"Hey Inuyasha," Kagome stepped towards the captain's position on the bank where he was filling his last barrel.

"What is it now wench?" His irritation was palpable in the air around him. The raven-haired girl merely brushed it off, the half-demon's crankiness had no affect on her anymore and she continued with her questioning.

"Do you think we could try to catch some of those fish?"

"Feh, whatever. Just hurry up with it. I don't want to be out here longer than necessary." His golden eyes followed her form as she went to collect Shippou and Kirara.

Twenty minutes later the children's satchels were brimming with the brightly colored fish. Shippou had been surprisingly quick and had taken quickly to the sport. Kagome grinned from ear to ear with pride and excitement. It had been a while since she had made fish.

XXX

Tired groans filled the area and slaps of hands upon skin were harsh against the walking groups' ears. Just after the sun had begun its decent into evening, the bugs had decided to come out with a vengeance. Sunburned and bug-bitten, they were all happy to hear the sound of the waves crashing on the beach.

Inuyasha suddenly stopped, his arm held out at his side as a signal for the others to do so as well. His nose twitched as he scented the air, Kouga and Ayame doing the same. The captain growled and bounded for the beach yelling a quick "stay here!" to the rest of them.

Kagome turned to the red-haired wolf demoness, her face was pale and she gripped the young cook's hand tightly in her own. "What's wrong? What do you smell?" Ayame turned to answer but Kirara's quiet voice piped up before she could.

"It's Naraku, he's been here." The small girl clung tightly to Kagome's leg, her face buried in the girls' denim shorts.

"Shhh, it's okay. Inuyasha will take care of everything." She smoothed the tiny cat demon's hair.

"Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm not standing around waiting while dog-breath has all the fun." Kouga ran off in the same direction Inuyasha had just shortly disappeared in to.

"Kagome, are they gonna be okay?" Shippo's large green eyes stared up at her from her other leg. Since when did my legs become kid magnets?' She thought, her eyes going glazy for a moment before returning to reality.

"They'll be fine." She smiled softly at him and he grinned widely back at her.

XXX

Inuyasha's growl was deep and rough; red clouded the edges of his vision as he scanned the white sands of the beach. His boat was gone and in its place was the last person he wanted to see. Naraku stood shoulders back and chin cocked in proud grandeur.

"What the fuck did you do with my boat?" Red continued to cloud the half-demon's vision; he cracked his knuckles and bared his fangs, prepared for whatever the twisted man before him had planned.

"There's no need to cuss Inuyasha. I never did anything to your precious Tetsusaiga, the tether however, is a completely different story." His red eyes glowed from beneath the mask and his vicious smirk cast shadows upon villainous features. "My dear boy, you should be more careful, this rope, it just snaps so easily." It seemed to happen in slow motion, the blue braided cord, slipped soundlessly from his clenched fist, Inuyasha's eyes followed the movement, as what was left of the rope, fell to the sand.

Molten eyes narrowed in pure hatred. This being before him endangered the lives of his friends, killed two of his crew members, threatened the life of the one girl he may just have a chance with in years, and had now taken away the only chance they had to get off this goddamn island.

Just as the hanyou was about to launch himself at the sadist before him, Kouga burst through the trees behind him, his own growl rising in volume at the sight of Naraku. The wolf demon's growls stopped short and his icy blue eyes widened a fraction, just now noticing the one thing missing that shouldn't have been missing. His eyes shot back to Naraku, and Kouga crouched low in a position similar to the one Inuyasha was in.

"Sadly I have no time for your foolish games; I have business that I really must return to. It was lovely chatting with you Inuyasha; I hope we can do this again, _real soon_." His voice dripped with perverse pleasure, he had them right where he wanted them, and best of all, they knew it too.

Inuyasha snorted and his ears laid back in displeasure. "You're not leaving so soon are you? We haven't even gotten to the fun part yet." As the last word left his mouth, his clawed feet twisted in the sand, searching for leverage as he launched himself at Naraku. Just as his claws grazed the front of the baboon pelt, a purple mist surrounded the man; forced to retreat Inuyasha covered his face with his arms.

When the miasma had cleared, the captain brought his arm down, looking behind him he saw Kouga, still in tact. And looking back where Naraku was supposed to be lay a wooden doll, a fine piece of black hair wrapped around its length. "Coward," he muttered before picking up the doll and crushing it in his hand.

A racket behind him stirred him from his musings and he whipped around to come face to face with the rag-tag group he had specifically told to stay behind. Their mouths agape and eyes wide, they had noticed right away that the Tetsusaiga was missing. Questioning eyes all turned to him and he looked down at the splinters of wood that used to be Naraku's doll.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome's voice was quiet and cautious and it soothed the demon raging inside of him. "Where is the boat?" He flinched at her question.

"Naraku's taken it." Kouga answered for him.

"But…no…" Her brow furrowed and she approached the half-demon her feet making small divots in the sand. She lightly touched his arm, her skin cool against the heat of his own. His eyes rose to meet hers and he told her all she needed to know with just one look.

**-End Author's Note**: I know, I know, there's no one in here named Daniel but it was the name of the song I was listening to when I started writing this, and well, it just kind of stuck.

Soundtrack for Chapter 12:

Drop Dead, Gorgeous: Daniel, Where's The Boat?

Flyleaf: All Around Me

Heavy Heavy Low Low: I Forgot 2 And A Half Days.

_Next Time on A Killer In Hindsight: Why did the fly, fly?_


	14. Why Did The Fly, Fly?

A Killer In Hindsight

Chapter 13: Why Did The Fly, Fly?

**Disclaimer:** I do not, nor have I ever, owned Inuyasha and Co.

Author's note: For all of you on Mediaminer this is important. You may get a little confused and you'll know what I mean when you see the scene between Kanna and Kagome, you may need to go back and read chapter eleven as I have cut some of that out.

And now a special treat for all you ghouls and goblins out there, happy Halloween!

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

XXX – Change in POV

OOO – Flashback

"General, Sir!" The urgency in the younger man's voice suggested something of the utmost importance as he jogged down the hall towards a lone metal door. Throwing the door open he continued to yell, "Sir, another boat's gone missing off of the Pacific near the Shikon Project."

A stocky man of five feet nine inches turned from his spot at the window, he face cast in a scowl. His hair was graying at his temples giving him a distinguished look and the square of his jaw was hard. His eyes glinted like steel and as he opened his mouth to speak he revealed straight pearly white teeth.

"Private, how many times have I told you to knock before you enter my office?" His tone was firm, and the ice in his glass clinked as he lifted it to his mouth.

"I'm sorry Sir, but the Shikon Project…" his hand haplessly held out the report file. The General snatched the file from the gangly boys' hand and he flipped it open. His eyes scanned the stark white pages and harsh black ink, his scowl growing darker and darker the more he read. A call to the Coast Guard was in order.

"Private, dial the Coast Guard, tell them…call off their search, they are already dead."

"Y-y-yes Sir." He stuttered, casting a nervous look at the General's stern face.

"And Private, call Sato as well tell him I need to speak with him, he was supposed to take care of this."

"Yes Sir." With that the private left the room and the General turned back to his window.

XXX

"So what are we going to do now?" Miroku watched the half-demon, as did the others. Their expectant faces made him grimace.

"I'll figure something out." He answered gruffly. His thoughts ran circles in his head and he quickly found himself frustrated with not only the situation and himself, but with the group of people before him. Could they not see? This role they had placed him in as their leader, it was impossible, he commandeered a fishing vessel. He could barely take care of himself let alone this group before him. "We'll find shelter. Then…then we'll think about Naraku."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Kagome turned to smile at the group collectively, "Let's get started."

"Where are we going to find this shelter?" Kouga asked, Kagome's smile faltered a mere second and they all turned their eyes back to Inuyasha.

"The best place would be where Ayame and the others set up before. It's close to fresh water and they know the area."

"Well, there you go Kouga. Ayame lead the way." The raven-haired girls' voice rang along the stretch of beach and bounced off the dense foliage of the jungle to echo in their ears. It brought a smile to their solemn faces.

XXX

The trees around them arched and swayed in the afternoon breeze and the birds and animals scattered at the sound of their footsteps. The fish in Shippou's bag had started to stink with the heat of the day.

Kagome continued to hum some song only she knew, Sango and Shippou walked to either side of her. Kirara trailed not far behind the little kitsune; it was obvious the tiny cat was developing a crush on the kit.

It wasn't much longer before they reached the clearing. "Where should we start?" Kagome asked, her voice lilting as it reached the hanyou captain's ears. The furry triangles twitched and swiveled catching noises that only those with demonic hearing could hear. He grunted and crossed his arms.

"Ayame, where did you guys get the materials to build the tree house?" His voice was gruff as amber eyes surveyed the area.

"We mostly just used parts of the plane, but there's not much left now that we've used it all on the boat." Again, Inuyasha grunted and several moments passed before he spoke again.

"Bankoutsu, those falls…there wouldn't happen to be any caves behind them would there?"

"I don't know, we never really checked." His gaze was puzzled as he followed the half-demons' pacing form with his eyes.

"We need to check." He nodded his head with finality and turned to stare at Bankoutsu. Who turned and lead the way down the slightly concealed path and the same heavy, muggy feeling washed over them as they stepped into the slight mist of the waterfall.

"Stay here." Inuyasha commanded as he started his way up the craggy outcroppings next to falls, soon he had disappeared behind the rushing wall of water.

It had been almost ten minutes, and Kagome was starting to worry, when the soggy captain reappeared. Jumping down over the rocks he made his way over to the group. Kagome's shoulders visibly relaxed at his appearance.

He shook himself free of the excess water and rang out his shirt before speaking to the group. "There's a cave, big enough to house all of us. It'll be a little difficult to get to for the humans but there shouldn't be too much of a problem. It'll be better than if we were to build a shelter out in the open, like the tree house, too much space for an attack. This way we'll be better hidden."

"Naraku will find us no matter where we hide." Ayame spoke, her voice and face grim.

"This will be better than if we have to build our own shelter, there's just not enough resources to rebuild what you guys had before and make it big enough to fit everyone." Inuyasha's voice was hard.

"I think Inuyasha's right. We should stay in the cave." Kagome placated to the growling wolf demoness.

"Fine." She huffed, her shoulders slouching in resignation.

"Good. Now, follow me." Inuyasha smirked in triumph seizing Kagome's hand and taking off up the outcropping of rock. Kagome blushed at the contact and fought to keep up. They disappeared behind the falls, the others following after them.

Inuyasha kept her tucked in between himself and the rocky wall, to make sure she wouldn't fall. They inched slowly along the surface, the others struggling to keep up with the half-demon's faster pace. They finally made it to the small crack in the wall that signified the entrance to the cave. Kagome barely squeezed through, Inuyasha wedging himself in after her.

The crack opened into a surprisingly wide expanse of space. The floors were smooth, the walls jagged and rounding up to come to a high point above their heads. It was dark and a little dank, but for the most part livable. Kagome walked the expanse of the cave, her hand dragging along the craggy surface of the wall. She stopped when the others came huffing in.

"Could that crack be any smaller?" Eri griped as she finally pushed herself through. Inuyasha snickered at her struggles. A low growling interrupted Eri from killing Inuyasha. Everyone turned to glance at a bright red cook. Kagome's hands covered her stomach as she tried to stifle the noise.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and she laughed nervously. "When's dinner?" She asked lamely.

"Uh guys, how are we supposed to cook dinner? There's no ventilation in this place, we can't make a fire." Shippou looked from person to person as their eyes all widened at the realization.

"We could keep it near the entrance and fan it to keep the smoke out." Ayumi shrugged her shoulders when everyone turned to give her looks. "Girl scouts." She grinned and shrugged.

"That could work." Kagome said contemplating the other girls' words. "Someone will need to go out for wood. We don't have any matches though; we'll have to resort to doing it the old fashioned way."

"Actually…" Kouga said, digging around in his pocket. He pulled out a white matchbook. "I have some. I used to smoke, kept matches in my pocket since. Don't know why, old habits die hard I guess."

"So, who's going to go get the wood?" Kagome's eyes gravitated towards Inuyasha. He gave an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, I'll go." He huffed before making his way back through the crevice in the wall.

XXX

Inuyasha had come back a short while later, his shirt full of wood slightly damp from the falls. After two or three unsuccessful tries they were finally able to start a fire. The fish had cooked quickly, it was slightly bland with no seasonings, but it was food and they were all well past starving.

They currently sat on the floor of the cave, the fire reduced to hot coals. Kouga pat his stomach before letting out a loud belch. Shippou and Kirara snuggled up on either side of Kagome. Inuyasha sat near the entrance to the cave, the others spread out in various positions around them.

"So, what are we gonna do about Naraku?" Sango's blunt nature caught them off guard.

"I don't know if there's anything we can do." Eri sat up straight to give the other girl a hard look. "We've done everything short of searching this entire island and that was only because it's too big and we didn't have enough people."

"Well we need to do something; I'm not going to just sit idly by while Naraku picks us off one by one." Sango crossed her arms and stared defiantly at the other girl. They locked eyes and a battle of wills ensued before Inuyasha interrupted them with a cough.

"I agree with Sango, Eri. It's not like I want to go looking for a fight," he added when Eri shot him a glare, "it's not like we have anywhere to run to." His words earned him a long stretch of silence.

Eri sighed before giving in, "Alright, what do we have to do?"

XXX

Kagome shifted and rolled over, sleep continued to elude her. She huffed before sitting up, her eyes adjusting to the dark of the cave. The sound of the rushing water soothed her frazzled nerves. Her breath hitched suddenly, there in the corner of the cave stood a little girl and she was staring right back at her.

They regarded each other silently before the little girl closed the space between them. She was dressed in a pale kimono, a tiny white flower tucked behind a delicate ear; dark eyes surveyed the cave as she clutched her circular mirror to her chest.

"Kagome…" the little girls' voice was a breathy whisper and had Kagome not been paying attention she would have missed it.

"You are Kanna?" the tiny demon nodded once in response. "Why are you helping us?" She couldn't help but blurt.

"You will be the one to kill the master." The little girl cocked her head to the side her hair falling over her shoulder. Kagome's eyes grew wide and she shook her head furiously.

"No, you're wrong. I could never kill someone."

"I have seen it and so it will be, but that is not the reason I am here tonight. I have come to warn you, there is one amongst your group who will betray you."

"Who?"

"I cannot tell you, it could change the course of events."

"Then why are you telling me I'll be the one to kill Naraku? Isn't that going to change the course of events?" Kagome's frustration mounted at the confusing words coming from the little girl before her.

"Why can you not just accept what I have told you?" The little demoness sounded oddly offended.

"Fine. Can you at least tell me how we find Naraku?"

"Just follow the beasts." With that the tiny girl faded into the air and out of sight. Kagome groaned in exasperation before slumping back down to the smooth surface of the floor.

XXX

The next morning came bright and early. Inuyasha awoke to the happy chatter of his motley crewmates and as he scanned the cave he noticed something was wrong. Kagome, usually the most chipper of the group was seated in a corner, her forehead marred with a pensive frown.

The half-demon rose to his feet covering the short distance with his long strides. He plopped down on the cave floor next to her. Startled, Kagome jerked back as Inuyasha came into view. With one look she spilled her guts.

"I got a visit from Kanna last night." She missed the look Inuyasha sent her when she went to cradle her head in her hands.

"And what did she want?" His voice was oddly soft in the hum of the background noise.

"She says we can find Naraku if we follow the beasts." He gave her a quizzical look.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" She flinched at his scowl.

"I don't know." Kagome groaned. "I don't know. I don't know_. I don't know_." By this point everyone had turned to look at her.

"What don't you know Kagome?" Shippou asked, looking up at her from his new spot in her lap.

"It's nothing." She shook her head at him and stroked his fluffy tail.

"We'll talk about it later." Inuyasha grunted, the others gave them wary looks but none the less dropped the subject. "We should go patrolling; see if we can find any sign of Naraku."

"I'm telling you that it's completely useless. You'll never find him." Eri stared defiantly at the captain.

"I'll be the judge of that." Inuyasha huffed before rising from the floor, the others soon following his example.

XXX

They split into two groups of four, Ayumi, Jakoutsu, Bankoutsu and the children hung back in the cave. Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango were north of the cave when Inuyasha picked up the scent of dying flesh. He and Sango kept several paces in front of Kagome and Miroku.

"Kagome," Miroku leaned in over her shoulder to whisper in her ear, "why did the fly, fly?" his voice cautious.

"Miroku," she scolded, "This is no time for silly nursery rhymes."

"Just humor me."

"What is this about?" Kagome rounded on him a curious look in her eyes.

"Humor me. Why did the fly, fly?" He asked again.

"Fine, the spider spied it. Now, will you tell me what this is about?" Miroku took her by the shoulders and turned her to the side. There, partially hidden by trees, stood a massive spider web made entirely of carcasses. Kagome clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming.

"Inuyasha." She whispered furiously. One ear twitched back in her direction. He turned towards her fully when he scented her fear and disgust.

"What is it?" his brow furrowed and Kagome pointed in the direction of the web.

"Fuck." Inuyasha's eyes widened and he heard Sango waver on her feet beside him.

The ground suddenly started to shake, the sound of trees breaking and the squawks of birds taking flight reached their ears. A spider of gigantic proportions burst violently through the trees, large fangs snapping, it charged the small group.

**End author's note**: I finally got this out. I'm so sorry that this took so long. I really am not as happy as I want to be with it but it will have to do. I may come back at a later date to revise this chapter. I'm hoping to wrap this up soon, there may be five more chapters left if things go as planned, but then again knowing my history with plans it may be more than that.

For those on MM: I'm going back to updating once a month, hopefully. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it never takes this long to update again.

For those FF: I will update once a month, if I'm late (meaning if you have not seen a new chapter by the last day of the month) then know that it will be coming soon.

Thank you all for reading and Happy Halloween!

Next Time on A Killer In Hindsight: Hindsight is Twenty-Twenty


	15. Hindsight Is TwentyTwenty

A Killer In Hindsight

Chapter 14: Hindsight Is Twenty-Twenty

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and co.

Author's note: So first scene is a battle scene, forgive me, for it is not my forte.

"Speech"

'Thought'

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"Run. Run. _Run_!" Sango's voice grew steadier each time she repeated the word until she was yelling at her startled companions. Inuyasha turned and pushed Kagome farther back into the trees away from the enormous creature. Sango grabbed Miroku's wrist and took after a stumbling Kagome.

"What about you?" Miroku paused long enough to yell at the captain. He barely caught the assurances the captain threw his way before turning and bolting through the trees.

The tall trees bowed under the great beasts' weight as it came after the half-demon. Inuyasha crackled his knuckles in anticipation. The spider lunged and snapped at him, he dodged, narrowly missing the dripping fangs. Inuyasha kicked himself off of one of the few trees that had yet to brake and slashed at his opponents' underside.

He landed a short distance away, the belly of the beast bore gashes from his claws and he smirked. A large leg barely missed crushing him under its weight as the beast swayed, unsteady on his feet, surprised by the attack.

"Well, this is disappointing." He snorted and leapt away as the snapping jaws of the spider came down on him. One large fang grazed his leg and he hissed and cursed as he felt the slow moving poison enter his bloodstream.

He jumped high again coming face to face with the monstrous beast. Its' eyes glittered black and merciless and its' snapping jaws drooled with anticipation. Inuyasha slashed with sharp claws catching it in the face.

The spider made a high pitched squeal and in its' rage it charged blindly. The captain bounded out of the way as the beast lumbered past him, its' legs getting tangled in the many trees. It turned again and made to charge but was stopped short when one of its' many appendages was trapped by a tree. The short glance at the trapped leg was all it took for Inuyasha to make his move.

Leaping high he swung his arm back and brought it forward, the beast barely had a chance as it swung its' humungous head around but the captain had already caught him in the neck and he cleaved the head from the massive body. It fell to the ground with an earth shattering thump.

Inuyasha's landing barely made a sound as his feet finally touched ground. He swiped an arm across his face to clear the blood spatter, merely smearing it more in the process.

XXX

"Sato, what is the meaning of this?" The voice boomed and bounced off the walls to echo in the younger man's nervous ears. The stocky man's face was red as he stared down the lesser officer.

"It was supposed to be taken care of, I apologize sir." The tall lanky man bowed and the wire rim of his glasses caught the waning light of the day to cast patterns on the wall.

"And just what had you done to take care of it?" The General's voice was quieter now but still held a dangerous edge.

"Since the Shikon Project has concluded with no productive results, we had thought to merely feed it until it was dealt with properly."

"Sato," the voice growled in barely suppressed fury, "You had orders to terminate it."

"I know, sir, but I still felt it was in the military's best interest if we," He was rudely interrupted by the red faced General across from, spittle flying from his mouth, as he yelled at the cowering lieutenant.

"Best interest, screw best interest! You had orders and you deliberately disobeyed them. I should send you out to that island to deal with the beast yourself." The lanky man across from him paled to a ghostly white.

"Please, General, please, my family…" He begged and stuttered but his pleas fell on deaf ears. The General had made up his mind.

XXX

"I bet you're wishing you killed that son of a bitch right now." The little man next to him laughed. Sato groaned and clicked his holsters into place.

"Don't rub it in Fushikenwa. I made a mistake and now I have to clean up the mess. Let's just hope he goes down without too much fighting. My wife is going to kill me." The lanky man rubbed at sore eyelids and dragged his large hand down his face.

"Don't worry Sato, we've got this one in the bag. How hard could it be to take down one eensy weensy governmental experiment?" Fushiknewa shrugged and laughed, clapping the taller man on the back.

"You have no idea what we're dealing with Fushikenwa. At first the scientists' intentions were good, they tried to create a creature that embodied all the parts of the mythilogical Shikon No Tama but soon it became corrupted.

"Soon after the creation of the creature it became evident that something had gone terribly wrong, instead of creating the perftect being they had created the perfect killing machine. It was merciless and fed on death. You know how no one speaks of December sixteenth? That was the day the creature released itself and killed almost everyone on the base, the only people to survive was myself and four others.

"It became apparent to the higher ups that the thing needed to be terminated, and it was my job to do so. However, everything I tried failed, and I soon started to think that perhaps we could learn from this. Create something that was entirely indestructible, but for that we would have to study the creature further, so I hid him away on one of the islands that the base used to use for testing.

"Since then whenever something gets too close, like that plane a couple months ago, or the fishing boat a couple weeks ago, we look the other way but it has reached the point where the media is becoming curious and there is pressure to get rid of it before the public finds out. I'm telling you it would be utter chaos if they found out. You know how most of them distrust the military as it is."

"Okay…" He paused for a moment, his brow furrowed in deep concentration, "the thing must have some weakness." Fushikenwa shook his head at the taller man. "There's no way it's completely indestructible."

"Their has been no weakness that we have observed as of yet." Sato placed several more hand grenades into his side bag. Fushikenwa gave him a look.

"It's not like we're going to war." Their was mirth in his eyes but it was replaced entirely by apprehension with Sato's next words.

"But Fushikenwa, we are going to war, that's just it." He sighed, "You don't understand the severity of the situation at hand. Believe me when I say that I wholly regret my actions, innocent people have died as a result of it and I will never forgive myself."

Fushikenwa clapped him on the back again and gave his shoulder a slight squeeze. "Well, you know what they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty."

XXX

Kagome's chest heaved as she struggled to take in breaths. She leaned against a tree, the rough bark scraping the skin of her elbow. A bead of sweat trailed down her forehead and over her nose to land on her lips and she tasted her own nervousness. Her head snapped to the side when Sango and Miroku burst through the trees.

"I think we're far enough away." Kagome panted. Miroku hunched over to lean his hands upon his knees. Sango leaned heavily against him, her arm draped over his back. The ground suddenly shook and all three of them stumbled with the force of it.

"What the fuck was that?" Miroku cursed, his language forgotten in the enormity of the situation.

"I don't know. You think Inuyasha's alright? Maybe we should go back." Kagome worried her lip between her teeth, almost breaking the skin.

"No, Inuyasha's made of tougher stuff than that."Miroku assured her, "We should keep going, we can backtrack to the cave."

"Do you really think it's such a good idea to head back there right now? No doubt that thing belongs to Naraku, although how, I'm not sure yet. Besides he might have something following us." Sango's worries were not unjustified as just then a loud buzzing noise overpowered their ears.Wasps as big as a man's hand circled the area above them. "Told you." Sango mumbled in rightous indignition.

The large bugs continued to circel the area for a short while before flying off when Inuyasha burst through the trees. Sweaty and sore he slumped at the base of one of said trees.

"Everyone alright?" He asked even though his eyes were trained solely on Kagome. The younger girl nodded, entranced at the sight of him alive and battle-worn. This did not go unnotice by either Sango or Miroku and they gave each other secretive knowing looks.

Inuyasha groaned in pain and they finally took notice of the fact that not all of the blood was the beasts'. Kagome rushed to his side and prodded gently at his leg. The captain hissed and glared at her. She gave him an apoligetic glance before returning to her prodding.

"We need to get him back to the cave, I can't treat him here." Sango and Miroku both nodded at her before coming over to sling each of Inuyasha's arms around their shoulders.

XXX

They made it back to the cave with relatively little trouble. Kagome set about treating the captains wounds, even as he boasted that no little scratches would bring him down, then she would poke hard at his injured leg and he would curse.

Kagome currently cradled Inuyasha's head in her lap, his brow wrought with sweat. She grabbed the cool wet cloth from her side and dabbed at his face. The captain had neglected to tell them that the wound had been injected with poison, so no matter how many times they washed and cleaned the large gash his condition worsened. They only became aware of it when Kouga had pointed it out.

Kagome sat in the farthest corner of the cave, her head hung, the others watched the distraught girl from a safe distance.

"Is there anything I can do?" Shippou's tiny voice reached her foggy brain and she turned sorrowful eyes on the little kitsune.

"No Shippou, everything's fine." She turned back to wipe the half-demon's brow when he groaned in his sleep. Ayame and the others were right, Naraku was slowly killing them off one by one. It seemed he went after the strongest first, those with demon blood, and then soon he would come after the weaker ones, the humans.

'Sometimes I just wish I never came on this stupid trip but then again if I had never come I would never have met Sango or Miroku or Shippou, or any of the others, especially Inuyasha.' She heaved a great sigh and her shoulders seemed to sag a little more as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders alone. 'Oh Inuyasha, you had better pull through this or I will never forgive you.' Even as she thought it, she knew it wasn't true, none of this was his fault.

XXX

The noise of the plane faded into the background, Sato sat with his head cradled in his hands, the team assembled around him laughed and joked. 'These poor saps have no idea what they're getting into and it's all my fault.'

"Cheer up Sato, this is gonna be a piece of cake." Fushikenwa sat beside him, their conversation from a day ago apparently forgotten.

"Leave me to my misery Fushikenwa, let me wallow." Fushikenwa gave him a strange look, completely lost to the higher ranking officer, his head still hung.

"Oh come on, it's not going to be that bad." Sato sighed having given up, Fushikenwa was a stubborn man and there was no way he would be able to convince the man that this was going to be anything other than a piece of cake. "Land ho!" The boisterous man suddenly hollered, laughing at his own joke.

The island came into view just beyond the vast blue waters Sato could make out the white sands of the beach and the rest seemd to be coated in green fluff, the leaves of the trees blending together. He could see a high mountain and as they came closer and closer he could just barely make out the mouth of a large cave.

XXX

Inuyasha groaned and tossed his head. His bangs were damp with sweat and stuck to his forhead. Kagome reached a hand out to brush them from his fluttering eyelids. He turned his head towards her hand, his golden eyes coming into view. Kagomes own eyes widened when he looked at her. She rushed to set his head in her lap once again.

"You smell good." He murmered.

"You must be delirious. I haven't bathed in days." Kagome shook her head at him even though he couldn't see the movement.

"How long have I been out?" He suddenly asked. Disregarding his earlier statement she answered his question.

"Since yesterday. How are you feeling?"

"Feh. Told you no little scratch would take me down." He boasted and she rolled her eyes at his arrogance.

"It wasn't a little scratch Inuyasha, you were poisoned. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because it was no big deal." He defended.

"No big...what am I ever going to do with you?" Kagome again brushed his bangs from his face, their eyes met and for a second sparks flew.

"Inuyasha's awake!" Shippou suddenly yelled. Kagome jumped and Inuyasha quickly turned away, the others came to crowd around, questions spilling from every mouth.

--------------------------------------------------------

**End Author's Note**: I thought for sure I wouldn't get this out in time but I did. Yay. I did have a few problems, I only had a trial WordDocument program, and my trial ran out, so it locked all of my documents. So I had to revert to WordPad, which does not have spell check so if this is particularly bad with grammar, blame it on that and I also can't see how many pages I've typed so I hope I'm somewhere near six pages at least. haha.

Now about next month's chapter, I'm not sure if there will even be one, I know I just went two months without posting anything (august, september), but with it being near christmas and all my job searching, I may just not have the time. I will try super hard to get it out but I will be visiting with family a lot and I may just not have the time. Keep an eye out for it anyway. Thank you all.

Soundtrack for Chapter's 13 and 14 (I just realized I didnt' do one of these for the last chapter):

Chapter 13:

Daphne Loves Derby: Tennis Court Soundtrack

If You're Lucky No One Will Get Hurt

Fightstar: Paint Your Target

Chapter 14:

Radiation Year: Belly Of The Beast

Gospel and Moonshine

Christmas Carols

All I've been listening to lately is christmas carols, my mom hates it she says it's too soon for them. I just tell her its after thanksgiving I can listen to them. haha.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and if you dont' hear from me before then, Happy Holidays.

Thank you for reading.

Next Time On A Killer In Hindsight: Confrontation (this is a tentative title, it may change)


	16. Confrontation

-1A Killer In Hindsight

Chapter 15: Confrontation

(_A face-to-face meeting or encounter, especially a challenging or hostile one_.)

Disclaimer: I do not nor have I ever owned Inuyasha and co; all rights belong solely to their creator.

**Author's Note**: So I was unable to get a chapter out in December, I warned you all. Haha. My job hunt is still not going well, but on the upside I passed my GED test with flying colors (I was way over the average mark, almost perfect scores on every test), I graduate in May, and plans for college in the fall are looking good. I'll also be leaving for Israel in May, so hopefully those long flights will give me time to write. Thank you all for your patience with me and here is chapter fifteen.

"Speech"

'Thought'

XXX - break in scene or POV

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The barrage of questions slowed to a stop when the captain's ears flickered in the direction of the mouth of the cave, his face soon turned as well.

"What is it?" Miroku questioned, his brow furrowed.

"Shhh." Kouga clapped a hand over his crewmate's mouth. He too was turned towards the mouth of the cave.

"I hear it." Shippou whispered.

"What do you hear?" Ayumi asked flinching at the glare Kouga aimed at her.

"Helicopter." Inuyasha moved to a sitting position.

"Oh thank heavens, they finally sent someone to rescue us." Ayumi clapped her hands in obvious joy.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, her eyes never leaving the captain's face.

"I'm going to find out." Inuyasha suddenly stood and disappeared through the mouth of the cave.

XXX

"What is the meaning of this?" Red eyes glowed in noticeable fury. "They shouldn't be here; they're going to ruin everything." Naraku bellowed, his voice echoing through the cave. "Go, leave me." He suddenly whispered menace shining through the fury.

Kanna turned from him, her mirror clutched tightly to her chest, she dissipated into the shadows.

XXX

Kagura listened from her spot amongst the trees, just below the mouth of the cave. A wicked smile spread her cheeks and she chuckled cruelly. "It's time." She whispered to herself. The demoness quickly took flight in the direction of her partner in crime.

A malicious laugh suddenly erupted from the cave behind her but Kagura paid it no mind, she would put an end to him soon.

XXX

The helicopter's blades continued to whir as men jumped and ran from the back. Amber eyes watched them from their spot amongst the trees.

"What are you doing here?" Came a vehement whisper. Sharp blue eyes turned to regard the glowing amber orbs.

"Helping you." The first figure snorted in disbelief.

"Dream on wolf boy."

"So what are you thinking captain?"

"They're definitely military but I don't think they're here to help us."

"Why not?"

"You've got eyes wolf, use 'em. They're heavily armed and that's the biggest load of dynamite I've ever seen."

"What could they possibly need dynamite for and when have you seen dynamite?" The captain shrugged innocently.

"Beats me but it sure ain't no rescue mission." He disregarded the second half of the question.

"We should be getting back." A non-committal sound came from the half-demon. With a quiet rustle of leaves, they were gone.

XXX

Sato stopped and turned. Another crate was passed in his direction, he ignored it and it fell on his foot. "Shit." He cursed grabbing at the abused appendage.

"What's the hold up Sato?" Fushikenwa turned to regard the higher ranking officer.

"Did you hear it?"

"Hear what man?"

"Something in the trees…" He trailed off and he squinted at the offending flora.

"Probably just a monkey. What are you so paranoid about?" Sato ignored his fellow officer. 'Something was in those trees watching us, I know it…'

XXX

"Why would the military be here?" Kouga continued to question Inuyasha with no response from the half-demon.

"Do you think they have something to do with Naraku? Like he's some governmental experiment? We know he's not a demon and he's certainly not human."

"Kouga," It was the first time the captain had spoken since they left the landing sight of the helicopter.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"O-kay."

A short while passed and as they neared the waterfall, Inuyasha stopped. Kouga skidded to halt as well when he noticed his companion was no longer running beside him. He turned and gave him a questioning look before he caught the same scent that had made the captain stop. They both turned their faces skyward and watched as Kagura flew by above them.

It took a few seconds before both men were back to running, their pace twice as fast as before.

XXX

Kagura arrived at the falls she knew to be the hideout of her accomplice. It wasn't long before he showed his face. She watched as he scaled the cliff-face. Even from where she stood she could tell he needed a good bathing, his beautiful black hair was shiny with oil and his face was smeared with dirt. No matter his appearance, she was happy to see him again.

"It's time?" He asked as he approached her. A wide grin split his face showing pearly white teeth.

She nodded in return. "It's time." With that they both took to the air.

XXX

Kouga and Inuyasha came huffing into the cave. "Where's Kagura?" He demanded.

"What are you talking about? We haven't seen her." Kagome came forward; a blush stole over her cheeks as she took notice of his sweaty form.

"Well we just saw her and she was headed in this direction." Kouga bent over, his hands on his knees, he wiped sweat from his brow with his forearm.

"Oh no." Kagome's face went white.

"What? What is it?" Inuyasha asked urgently.

"Bankoutsu just left, he said he was going to look for you since you were taking so long. We told him not to but he went anyway."

"Dammit." Inuyasha's face screwed into an angry mask. Kagome approached him slowly and whispered to him when she spoke.

"Inuyasha, Bankoutsu, Naraku's going to kill him isn't he?" He didn't answer.

XXX

"Should we see if there are any survivors Sir?" Sato turned to regard the lower ranking officer.

"It's not likely there's anyone left alive but we might as well cover all our bases. Gather a small group, Fushikenwa's in charge. Go." A few minutes later he was approached again, this time by Fushikenwa.

"This is bogus; we don't even have the supplies for a rescue mission."

"Then we'll make do. If we find out at a later date that there were survivors and we didn't do anything to rescue them…"

"So you're just trying to cover your ass is that it?"

"I know you're angry, and I apologize, but you are the only one qualified to lead these men."

"Fine but I'm still not happy about this." Fushikenwa turned on his heel and stormed away, his rigid shoulders and hard gate were the only signs he had been in a fight with his friend and superior officer.

Sato breathed a great sigh when the younger male was gone. 'I know you are mad but you may just find the danger you are looking for my young friend.'

XXX

"So what are our plans to deal with the soldiers?" Kouga abruptly interrupted the line of questioning at hand; to go down that path would do no good. Sighing, one of Inuyasha's large hands passed down his haggard face.

"I don't know. I'm guessing they'll find us eventually."

"But do we want them to find us is really the question?" Eri stepped forward, her face set in hard determined lines.

"I don't know." Inuyasha shrugged and plopped himself into a cross-legged position on the ground. "That's just it I don't know."

"Maybe we should confront them." Hojo offered. "We may not be their intended mission but surely if they know we're here they'll help us."

"Hojo's right, we have to at least try." Ayumi's voice was soft and shaky and it made Inuyasha's ears twitch.

"Fine, but not all of us are going. Only a small group. If they help us then we'll bring them here, if they don't. Well, it goes without saying, don't come looking for us."

"So, who's going?" Shippou's innocent question echoed in their ears.

XXX

"Okay everybody, listen up. You're probably wondering why we split you into two groups. The larger group will go with me, we're hunting for Naraku and the smaller group will be led by Fushikenwa, you're searching for survivors."

Fushikenwa turned to Sato, "So where do we start, Sir?" he asked.

"Wherever you want."

"Alright men," Fushikenwa shouted "looks like we're heading north."

XXX

After having followed the smaller group of soldiers heading north for some time, Inuyasha realized they would only notice the even smaller group following them, if they were intersected. A quick burst of speed and the three of them made a wide arc around the troop.

They burst suddenly from the trees, startling the soldiers into turning their weapons on the group. Inuyasha and Kouga put their hands up in a placating gesture; Miroku was nowhere to be seen.

"Who are you?" Fushikenwa shouted.

"We're the survivors you're looking for dumbass." Kouga's crass nature startled the soldiers and Inuyasha merely rolled his eyes.

"There's only two of you?" Fushikenwa's obvious surprise made the half-demon raise an eyebrow.

"There's more of us." Inuyasha's distrust was evident.

"So, where are you?"

"Oh like we're going to tell you when you have guns pointed at us. By the way, you want to put those down?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes again at Kouga's antics.

"At ease men." Fushikenwa brought his own gun down and the other's followed his lead.

Suddenly there was a rustle in the leaves and Miroku burst through the offending foliage. Fushikenwa and his men suddenly had their guns at the ready again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Miroku panted his hands came up in the same placating gesture Inuyasha and Kouga had their hands in before.

"Easy there boys." Miroku's obvious nervousness caused his voice to raise a few octaves.

"It's alright, he's one of us." Inuyasha came to Miroku's rescue.

"You know what, now that I think of it, how do we know you're not working for Naraku? That you weren't sent here to kill us? From what I understand he plays pretty dirty."

"You're right he does play dirty but if we were sent here by now, trust me, you'd be dead already." Inuyasha's tactless manner made Fushikenwa lower his gun slightly; this was obviously a man who did not have the thinking capacity to plan such trickery.

The sudden stench of fear overwhelmed Inuyasha and Kouga's noses. Turning towards the noticeably frightened Miroku, it was only a matter of seconds before they turned in the opposite direction to where he was pointing.

A hulking purple beast came crashing through the trees. Its enormous frame shook the ground with every step. It resembled a gorilla with its incredibly long arms almost dragging upon the ground. It roared and the soldiers visibly shook in their boots.

'Another beast, we're headed in the right direction. Naraku is north.' Inuyasha was ripped from his thoughts almost violently when the gorilla like beast grabbed one of the soldiers, brought him to its mouth and tore the head off with its' teeth and with that it dropped the body to the ground.

XXX

Author's Notes: I finally finished this one and I leave you with a cliff hanger. I'm so mean. haha. Well, it's almost nine pages on Microsoft, so I hope you're all happy. I tried to make it longer to make up for last month. If I don't see you all before then (which I probably won't) Happy Valentines day.

Next Time on A Killer In Hindsight: Bankoutsu's Betrayal.


	17. Bankotsu's Betrayal

-1A Killer In Hindsight

Chapter 16: Bankotsu's Betrayal

Author's Note: Again I will warn you, I am not very good with action scenes. I apologize.

XXX

A wild spray of bullets flashed towards the beast, the muzzle fire was constant. One by one the bullets fell like rain all around them, ricocheting off the chest of the monster before them, their descent markedas they plinked against the ground.

A quick burst and Inuyasha was in the air, claws poised to strike. A large hairy arm swung in a wide arc and knocked the half-demon from the air. He landed against a tree with a great crack that echoed through the small clearing.

Inuyasha arose with a slight shake of his head. When his vision cleared he saw Kouga charging the giant purple beast, but with little successInuyasha stopped to consider the beast, barely taking notice of Kouga as he flew through the air to land next to him.

It moved with a grace that belied its size. The soldiers continued to fire at the monstrous being and were already running low on ammunition. And then he noticed it, the only vulnerable spot this thing had. It's head. Every time a stray bullet would come close it went through the effort of moving its humongous arms to protect its face.

"Shoot for the head!" He suddenly heard himself shouting. Fushikenwa barely spared him a glance and a roll of his eyes. Inuyasha growled shortly under his breath in a flash quicker than the muzzle fire he was in the air. The soldiers had the thing distracted and he took his chance.

His claws just barely grazed the face of the thing and he was on the ground. He cursed under his breath. The beast turned from the soldiers to face him. Roaring again its huge fist went up into the air and came down, again barely missing him as he rolled out of the way.

Inuyasha sprang through the trees, using the beasts' bulk against him. As he kept it distracted, Kouga recovered from his fall to the ground and grabbed a great stick from behind him With his own immense leap he ran the branch through the side of the beasts' head. A spray of blood and gray matter rained down upon the various soldiers.

"You idiot I almost had him!" Inuyasha yelled as he came down from his spot amongst the trees.

"Yeah right, you were too busy dancing with it to kill it," **t**he wolf demon retorted.

"I was observing its movements. There was something different about this one." A puzzled look came across Kouga's face.

"Whatever you say half-breed." Just as Inuyasha's face became a dangerous shade of red they were interrupted.

"Excuse me," Fushikenwa cleared his throat to gain their attention, "My assumptions of you before seem to be wrong, and I apologize." A slight grimace graced his features; apologies often left a bad taste in his mouth.

"It is alright. Why don't we start with introductions, hmm?" Miroku's passive nature earned a look from Inuyasha but nothing more.

"Alright, that works for me. I'm Fushikenwa." He thrust his hand out towards Inuyasha, intending a shake of the hands. Inyasha glared at him.

"And why should we trust you?" He asked.

"Because I'm military."

"Exactly." Kouga exclaimed. "Who honestly trusts the military these days?"

"I do if they can take us home." It was Miroku's turn to give the other two a look. "I'm Miroku," He pointed to himself, "And these are my colleagues Inuyasha and Kouga." He pointed to each one respectively.

The radio on Fushikenwa's shirt clicked and fizzled before Sato's voice was heard, "We've got nothing, let's regroup."

Fushikenwa clicked the little button on the side, the walkie-talkie clicked and fizzled again and he replied, "Sato, we've found survivors."

There was a pregnant pause before Sato responded. "Good, we'll regroup and go from there. How many?"

"How many of you are there?" Fushikenwa turned imploring eyes on the three.

"Counting us," Miroku paused for a second, "Thirteen but two are small children and one is currently missing."

Fushikenwa turned back to his walkie-talkie, "We have a confirmed twelve, two are small children, and one is missing."

Another pregnant pause and this time Sato's voice sounded unsteady, "Alright we'll regroup, debrief and see what can be done." With that the walkie clicked and fizzled for the last time.

XXX

They returned to the site of the helicopter. Sato's nervous fidgeting having long ago gotten on the nerves of the other men.

"Where the hell could Fushikenwa be?" He grumbled under his breath. There was a rustle in the foliage to his right and the aforementioned soldier appeared, followed by a haggard looking troop and lastly came three people he didn't recognize.

"You're short a soldier," Sato's words were sharp and Fushikenwa scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Is that…blood?" He came closer to observe the uniforms of his men.

Fushikenwa looked to his superior officer nervously. Sato crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. "He's dead." Sato frowned.

"You see we were distracted, we thought the survivors might be working for Naraku, and while we were speaking this huge monster just came out of nowhere and…uh…bit off his head. We have his dog tags though, to send home," he thrust the shiny metal tags out in front of him and they tinkled against each other.

"I see." Sato continued to frown. '_So Naraku's been doing some experimenting of his own…._' His thoughts ended there when he took in the sight of the survivors. "Where's the rest of them?" He finally asked.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Sato raised a thin eyebrow in response.

"They refuse to divulge the location on the excuse that we're military and not to be trusted," **t**he edges of his mouth quirked up in obvious amusement.

"We're here to rescue you," Sato turned to the bedraggled group of three.

"Not with all that dynamite you're not. What's really going on?" Inuyasha cast a suspicious glance at the tall lanky man known as Sato.

"It's a need to know basis," Sato responded.

"We need to know." Inuyasha crossed his arms and matched Sato's stance. The officer heaved a great sigh and uncrossed his arms, his shoulders slumped and he suddenly looked very undignified. Several moments and an extremely long explanation later the three shocked faces that stared back at him were almost comical.

"Well shit," Kouga exclaimed running a large hand across his eyes. "That's some story Sato."

"So, Naraku's some governmental experiment gone horribly wrong, I should have known. But Sato, answer me this, how does he create these monsters that have been attacking us? " Miroku's question caught the officer off guard and it showed.

"Well I'm not really sure but I think they're detachments from his own body. He can take them and mold them into anything he wants. He has total control over them."

"Feh, we should go collect the others and get this over with." Kouga and Miroku rolled their eyes at Inuyasha's crass nature; it was no surprise to them, however, Sato seemed a little startled. Giving the two soldiers assurances that they would return in a few hours they left, disappearing into the trees.

"What do you think Sato?" Fushikenwa shifted in his spot.

"I think they can be trusted for now but we should watch them closely. Naraku can turn anyone."

XXX

"Can they be trusted?" Kouga asked as they neared the waterfall.

"I don't know." Miroku and Kouga exchanged bewildered looks behind Inuyasha's back.

"Don't act so surprised." Inuyasha's gruff voice broke through their silent exchange.

"We're not surprised that you don't know, just that you actually admitted to it." Inuyasha glared at Miroku and he grinned back, obviously pleased with himself.

The rumble of the falls soon reached their ears and shortly after the towering cliff face of the falling water appeared before them.

XXX

She reveled in the feeling of the wind in her face, closing her eyes she tuned out the obvious discomfort of her companion.

"Kagura?" Bankotsu's voice was unsteady and he clutched the edge of the feather in a death grip.

Kagura continued to ignore him and after several more attempts Bankotsu soon gave up.

"What do you want now?" **s**he finally spoke.

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing? Maybe we should tell him."

"No! Do you want to get killed?" her vehement reply startled him.

"But he should know," Bankotsu continued to try and convince Kagura but she was beyond it.

"I don't plan on dying for this and there is no way he'll let us waltz right out of there if we tell him what we're doing."

"But,"

"No buts, he's not going to find out." With Kagura's final words they flew on to their destination.

XXX

Inuyasha, Kouga and Miroku entered the cave with nervous anticipation.

"Finally." Ayame threw up her arms and let them fall back down to her lap. "We were about to send a search party out to get you guys. Where have you been?" Inuyasha frowned but Miroku answered.

"We encountered another one of Naraku's beast thingies. And we made contact with the soldiers; we need to meet them soon."

"They're going to help us, right?" Ayumi's hope rang clear in her voice.

"That's what they say they're going to do," Inuyasha's gruff response made the smile fall from the hopeful girls' face.

"You don't trust them." It was Kagome's turn to frown as she looked directly at the half-demon.

"No, I don't."

"We should be going." Miroku interrupted their silent staring contest.

"Alright. Let's go." Kagome nodded once in finality.

XXX

They came upon the soldiers' campsite just as night came over the island. Various tents were scattered around the clearing with the glow of light coming from some but not all.

"Ah, Sato," Miroku suddenly exclaimed and approached the tall lanky man.

"Miroku." He nodded his head in affirmation. His perusal of the others left a bad taste in Inuyasha's mouth; he looked as if he was gazing at cattle instead of people. Sato finally spoke after several minutes, "You will stay here tonight. Unfortunately we don't have any tents left, but we do have a few bedrolls. You're welcome to them. We head north in the morning."

XXX

Just as the sun came over the horizon Kagome felt a nudging in her ribs. She groaned knowing the only person who would wake her up this early was Inuyasha. Rolling over onto her back she glared up at him through bleary eyes.

"What do you want?" She managed, her brain still sleep fogged. She rubbed her tongue over her teeth and winced at the fuzzy feeling.

"Get up and be quiet about it," his gruff response not surprising her in the least. She looked around at her companions; this was obviously a private conversation as he had not bothered to wake anyone else. Groaning at her luck she pulled herself from the warm embrace of her sleeping bag. She followed him beyond the tree line until they could barely see the camp.

"So, what is it?" **s**he asked and yawned.

"You're not coming with us." He turned away, gazing farther into the foliage.

"Excuse me?" She shot back indignantly.

"You heard me."

"I'm not staying behind. Would you look at me when you're talking to me?" Kagome grabbed his chin and forced his face in her direction. Dark amber eyes immediately locked onto melancholy blue. Her fingers softened and moved to touch his cheek. "You're worried about me." A grin broke out and crinkled the edges of her eyes.

"Feh, am not wench." Inuyasha wrenched his face from her hands.

"Are too."

"Am not.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Shut up." 

"Never." His lips were against hers in an instant. Startled blue eyes stared into even more startled amber. He pulled away and stuttered a quick apology.

"Don't apologize." And in a burst of confidence she grabbed the back of his neck and brought his lips to hers again in a quick, firm kiss. As Kagome pulled away she whispered against his lips, "I'm still going." The goofy grin fell from Inuyasha's face and he stared, shocked, at the back of her head as she walked away. '_Sneaky wench, I wouldn't have you any other way._'

XXX

They had started north hours ago and much to Inuyasha's dismay, Kagome in tow. The children and the camp far behind them now, he could not make her turn around and go back. Sato led the way with his machete, but not without much bickering between Inuyasha and himself.

They passed the clearing where the last battle had been fought and headed further north until they came upon an area so thick with trees it became hard to navigate. There was a yell from above them, and several trees were suddenly cut in half. They all looked up at once; their eyes fell upon the form of a woman and man seated upon a large white feather.

"Bankotsu." The one utterance from several people amongst him had Inuyasha cursing like the sailor he was.

A sudden crashing through the trees had everyone looking to the right. A large muscular beast all gnashing teeth and claws felled trees an acre wide with one swing of his mighty arm.

"Go for the silver-haired one." Kagura yelled and beady red eyes focused on Inuyasha. He felt several of the soldiers around him shiver in anticipation and fear. Cracking his knuckles Inuyasha prepared himself for a fight.

XXX

Author's Note: So we have Kagome and Inuyasha's first kiss, the same kiss I've been promising a few people for sometime. Haha. I hope no one was too out of character, I've never really written fluff before.

Let's all give a big thanks to my new beta, O-Mega Lead, without your help these poor readers would still be suffering through my horrible grammar.

And now for something I haven't done in awhile, Chapter Soundtrack. I drew a lot of inspiration from local music for this chapter.

Are You A Fox? EP.

Burning Valhalla EP.

Love Is Murder - Five Ways To Kill Yourself EP.

Next Time On A Killer In Hindsight: Battles Won And Lost


	18. Battles Won And Lost

-1A Killer In Hindsight

Chapter 17: Battles Won And Lost

XXX

"Bring it on." Inuyasha smirked, his fangs peeking out over his bottom lip. He grabbed a dagger from one of the soldiers surrounding him and charged the creature. It snapped large, blunt, yellow teeth and saliva drooled over its jowls.

Inuyasha slipped in between the trees, his speed his only advantage as he approached. The creature's little eyes followed as he flashed through the foliage and suddenly a high pitched wine escaped from its vocal cords. A flash of light followed and the beast opened his massive maw to release a putrid purple gas.

The large group spread among**st** the trees, watching in morbid fascination as the gas surrounded the half-demon, causing him to waver on his feet, the smell overcoming his senses. It was dense, moist, and enclosed him in a most uncomfortable, foul smelling cocoon.

Inuyasha moved forward, struggling through the thick mist. A collective sigh of relief was released from the group left behind as he broke through the hazy prison and it dissipated behind him. Shaking off the dizzy fog the mist had left him in, he continued his charge toward the giant creature.

One of its large arms moved lethargically through the air to swipe at him. Using his size to his advantage, Inuyasha slipped past the beasts' grubby fingers. Pulling his arm back, he brought the dagger across the lower half of the creature's stomach. It screeched in fury as a green slime oozed from the wound.

Inuyasha leapt into the air, the creature's bulk slowing it down, and he slipped easily through _**the**__**creature's**_grasping fingers _**again**_. Coming down, he brought the dagger out in front of him to catch on the skin of the beasts' stomach and he used his weight to drag it down until he reached the ground again. Bounding backwards, Inuyasha wiped the green sludge from his face with a forearm.

Kagome watched in horrid fascination as Inuyasha continued to wipe the slime from his face, oblivious as a large hand scooped him up easily. A morbid giggle escaped the creatures' mouth. Kagome turned to Sato, fear in her eyes. "Why aren't you helping him?" **s**he asked, frantically.

"He was handling it fine a second ago. I'd like to my men to be as little involved as possible."

"He's a civilian, you're military. It's your duty to protect him." Sato sighed and, without glancing at the desperate girl, he ordered his men to fire at will. The sharp blasts from their guns startled the creature and in its shock, it dropped the half-demon.

Crashing through the trees Inuyasha landed with a hard thud on the ground. Groaning, he raised himself on all fours. **T**hrough his bangs he watched the soldier's fire. The beast seemed confused as it watched the little bullets of the guns as they were consumed by its body. Beady red eyes focused on the group of soldiers and cocked its head to the side. It approached slowly, cautiously, and as it neared the soldiers retreated.

"Feh, cowards." Inuyasha snorted before rising. The creature had its back to him now as it closed in on the terrified soldiers. Looking up to the sky, the half-demon's eyes caught those of Kagura, staring him down. His brow furrowed in confusion, '_Why isn't she attacking?_' as he was distracted with the wind demoness, he did not notice the large serpent that approached his crewmates.

Kagome stood the farthest away, pushed back by her friends in an attempt to keep her safe. So preoccupied was she with her worry for Inuyasha that she didn't notice the breaking of twigs and leaves or the hiss the snake demon released as it approached its prey.

Only did she become aware of it when it coiled itself around her torso and squeezed, cutting off any attempts at alerting the others. No one noticed the frightened eyes of their friend as she disappeared into the foliage.

Shaking himself from the entrancing gaze of Kagura, Inuyasha picked himself up from the ground and charged the monster yet again. Leaping at the creature's neck he brought the dagger down to tear through the soft flesh of the base of the beasts' skull.

It gave a loud groan before crashing to its knees. The soldiers scrambled to escape as the creature collided with the ground. It gave a high pitched whine before going silent. The soldiers approached it cautiously, some poking it with their guns. A sudden puff of purple gas escaped its mouth, the foul smell enveloped them, and everyone coughed and gagged trying to escape the awful scent.

Inuyasha approached the beast and walked the length of it and as he looked to the sky he noticed Kagura was gone, and he growled in frustration. He looked back towards where his crew had assembled around the head and immediately noticed something was wrong.

"Where's Kagome?" He asked as he came towards them. Everyone looked around for the missing girl. A panic suddenly gathered in the pits of their stomachs, the realization that she was gone overwhelmed them and Ayumi cried out in distress. Their friend had been taken and not one of them had noticed.

XXX

Kagome released an 'oomph' when the serpent roughly dropped her to the ground. She watched it slither off back in the direction they came from. A malicious laugh from the depths of the cave caused her to freeze and slowly turn to face the ominous entity.

"Who's there?" She asked even though she had a feeling she already knew who it was.

"Oh, how disappointing," he added sadly, "I thought you were smarter than that."

"Naraku," **s**he hissed.

"In the flesh," he chuckled

"What do you want from me?"

"My dear, I want everything." The malevolent grin that split his face scared Kagome more than anything ever had before.

XXX

"We have to get her back." Sango said, speaking directly to Inuyasha.

"You think I don't know that?" He growled, frustrated. Miroku rested a hand on Sango's shoulder as she started to advance on the irate captain, stopping her progress. She turned to glare at him, eyes closed; he merely shook his head in response. She relaxed under the pressure of his hand.

"We all want to get Kagome back and fighting isn't going to bring her back any faster." Miroku's voice was calm and clear. The sudden clamor of the soldiers moving into formation startled the smaller group.

"Where are you going?" Inuyasha asked Sato.

"North, where Naraku is. We still have a mission and we don't have time to look for your friend." His voice was cold and strict, leaving nothing to argument.

"We're going with you." Inuyasha said suddenly. Surprised glances were cast between crewmembers.

"Why?" Sato asked.

"Wherever Naraku is, is where we'll find Kagome." The determination in the half-demon's voice startled the other man.

"Fine, we're heading to the other side of the island." Sato surprised himself at his own words but it was too late to take it back, the look on Inuyasha's face said it all. They were going whether he said so or not.

XXX

"What was that about?" Bankotsu exploded at his very naked counterpart.

"What are you talking about?" Kagura spoke calmly as she climbed into the pile of furs.

"Don't play dumb with me," he said as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"I'm not, I don't know what you're talking about." She beckoned him with a finger and he easily slid his pants over his hips. He sighed and climbed into the pile next to her.

"I wish you wouldn't leave me in the dark about these things." Kagura pouted at his words and slid a milky white hand over his well-defined torso.

"Next time I'll make sure to fill you in. Now, are you going to kiss me or not?" Without anymore thought_**,**_ he sealed their lips.

XXX

They had been traveling north for some time, the tension between the two groups was palpable. Inuyasha continued to glare heatedly at the back of Sato's head. The amiable chatter between the soldiers ahead of him grated on his nerves. He released a clearly frustrated sigh, a few of the soldiers ahead of him turned to cast weary looks upon him.

Directing his gaze to his surroundings just as they broke through a clearing he was the first to see the giant cliff face that was dotted with caves, looming before them. The others around him stopped and craned their necks upward to glance at the sheer size of it.

"Let's keep moving." Inuyasha heard Sato shout from ahead of him. He freed a low growl before continuing on.

They finally reached the edge of the cliffs at dusk.

"How are we supposed to get up there?" One of the men in front of him asked of a comrade. The other man shrugged and turned his attention to Sato who paced restlessly in front of them.

A slight rustle of leaves to his left drew Inuyasha's attention away from the men in front of him. A fluffy white ear twitched at the noise and swiveled in its direction, Inuyasha's head soon following in the same path. A delicate shimmer of green amongst the foliage caught his awareness. It was different than the leaves around it for it gleamed like the scales of a snake.

XXX

Darkness encroached on all edges of the caves' yawning mouth. Kagome's desperation grew as stars poked through the haziness of dusk. Tears welled in her eyes, the fear of never seeing her family or friends again becoming real with every passing minute.

"Now, now," Naraku tsked, "What's with the tears my dear?"

"Be quiet you bastard," **s**he hissed.

"A lady should never use such language." He grinned mirthlessly.

"They've arrived master." A quiet voice spoke from the shadows. Kagome whipped around at the sound of the familiar voice. The small girl appeared stark against the gloomy backdrop of the cave. Her white hair and skin glowed eerily within the depths of the cave.

"Thank you Kanna, fetch your sister and you may join them." Naraku's slick oily voice slithered across Kagome's skin and she shuddered.

XXX

Inuyasha's eyes never left the gleam of the scales amidst the foliage, not even as he scented Kagura and Bankotsu on the wind. For he felt that what was hiding in the woods was a much greater danger than what was floating in the air.

He stepped carefully to the edge of the group, **n**o one noticing his steady pace towards the thick cropping of trees. He nudged Koga in the ribs, his outcry silenced when Inuyasha clapped a hand over his mouth, making a shushing sound at him but never taking his eyes off of his prey.

"What is it?" Koga hissed when Inuyasha removed his hand.

"Look, do you see it?"

"See what?" the wolf demon groused.

"There's a snake demon among those trees." Kouga's eyes widened and he honed his senses in on the foliage, **j**ust barely catching the glint of scales as the snake shifted again.

"I see it," he whispered.

"Gather the others, we're going to catch us a snake."

"Why? What's so important about that snake demon anyway?"

"I'm positive he has something to do with Kagome's disappearance."

"What about Kagura?"

"We'll deal with her later." Inuyasha grinned malevolently. Kouga slinked away from him to collect the others.

XXX

Kagura noticed immediately that Inuyasha's attention was not on her but on the trees to her right. The soldiers had yet to look up and become aware of her presence.

'_Do what you need to do Inuyasha. We'll have time for us later._' She grinned as the first soldier gave a cry of surprise and alerted Sato to her presence.

"Ready to have some fun?" Kagura asked of her companion. Bankotsu rolled his eyes in response.

"Go easy on them please." And with that she whipped out her fan.

XXX

It was easy enough to get the others to follow him. The hard part was keeping track of the demon slithering above their heads. The snake demon finally stopped and its large head dropped from the trees to stare at Inuyasha directly, its eyes glowing a sickly yellow in the waning light.

It hissed with glee, its black tongue gliding through razor sharp teeth to poke at the air. Inuyasha let loose a low growl. Ayumi 'eeped' from somewhere behind him. A spray of blood erupted into the air as the half-demon and the snake clashed.

A loud snarl ripped from Inuyasha's throat as the snake demon's fangs sunk into the flesh of his thigh. He slashed the skin of the demon's neck. A garbled screech of fury escaped the demon before he struck again, biting at Inuyasha's arms as they came up in a defensive position.

Inuyasha gave a great yank and the rest of the snake demon plunged from above. Its coils landing on the ground with an immense thud that shook the trees around them.

"Where is she?" Inuyasha growled from behind clenched teeth. His claws sunk deep into the sides of the snake demon's neck.

"I will never tell." It hissed back, flicking its black tongue. Inuyasha squeezed harder at the snake demon's neck until it was gasping for air. "I'll…never…tell." It wheezed again. The half-demon squeezed until he heard the satisfying crack of the snake's neck.

"Nice going half-breed now how are we going to find Kagome?" Koga slapped Inuyasha across the back of his head.

"Look over there." Inuyasha, wiping his hands on his shorts, nodded his head to his right where the cliff face opened to a large cave in the dim light. **T**he ones with demon blood could just make out a set of stairs leading upwards.

"Oh," Koga replied, scratching the back of his head and shuffling his feet in the dirt in embarrassment.

They entered the cave and started to ascend the spiral staircase carved into the rocky surface. Inuyasha in the front, the humans in the middle and Koga bringing up the rear they reached the top of the stairs with few problems.

It was even darker at the top of the stairs. No light leaked in from the outside. A sudden shiver rocked Sango's body at the chill that entered the air. She noticed several others around her shiver as well. She wasn't the only one that sensed the potential danger here.

They crept silently through the cave until they heard voices to which they stopped and listened.

"You're not going to get away with this Naraku. The military is here and I know Inuyasha won't leave me." Kagome glared at her captor with fierce intensity.

"Oh I know all about the military, useless lot they are." He threw his head back and laughed. "As for your friends don't think I won't make quick work of them if they do come. For all you know you're as good as dead."

XXX

Inuyasha restrained himself from charging in there and ripping Naraku to pieces for putting such doubt in Kagome's mind. When the two had gone silent and he was sure he wasn't going to burst through the doorway unprepared, Inuyasha dared to poke his head around the corner.

Naraku had his back to him but he could see Kagome clearly. Her knees were scraped and she was bound with her hands behind her back. On her knees she looked so vulnerable but she glared defiantly at the monster in front of her. Inuyasha smirked at her bravery in the face of the being who could very well be her death.

Kagome's eyes scanned the wall ahead of her; she immediately caught sight of the half-demon's head visible around the side of the rock wall. He put a finger to his lips and winked at her before popping back around behind the wall.

Her face briefly showed her shock before she schooled her features. Glancing at Naraku from beneath her lashes she saw that he either had yet to notice her visible shock and her friends' appearance or he chose to ignore it.

Naraku turned back to Kagome a knowing smirk on his face. Kagome had no time to warn Inuyasha as the half-demon charged the other man, claws extended. A tentacle burst forth from beneath his robes and speared the captain through the shoulder.

Inuyasha gave a grunt of pain, his ears flattening to his head at Kagome's scream. He sliced the appendage ripped what was rest of it from his shoulder, the wound bleeding profusely. Kouga and Miroku rushed from around the wall to join the fight.

Koga jumping and slashing with his claws as more and more tentacles burst from beneath Naraku's robes. The stench of decay filled the air the three had to stop to cover their noses. Naraku cackled and inhaled deeply.

"Such wonderful scent decaying flesh has, don't you think?" The knowing glint in his eyes gave him away and Inuyasha growled. Breathing through his mouth, he charged again.

XXX

"We can't just stand here." Ayame said, exasperated.

"Well what are we supposed to do? Inuyasha told us to stay here." Jakotsu's forehead was creased with worry lines.

"We can go get Kagome out of that mess before she gets hurt." Ayame suggested, her eyes fierce and daring anyone to defy her. "Besides Inuyasha's not the boss of me." She smirked before turning and heading out into the fray.

XXX

Her face turned away from the fight, Kagome chanced a glance up and saw Ayame rushing toward her.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she reached her.

Kagome vigorously nodded her head yes as the wolf demoness cut the rope from her wrists and ankles. She stood quickly, shaking out her numb limbs.

Inuyasha, distracted with defending himself, missed the sly expression on Naraku's face as he turned to flash Kagome a menacing look. Catching Naraku, Inuyasha reacted quickly.

"Kagome!" He yelled, catching her attention, she turned to him. He grabbed the dagger from the band of his pants and threw it to her. Before she could catch it a large tentacle knocked her to the ground and her head crashed against the rocks. The dagger slid to a stop beside her.

The battle raged on despite the loss of Kagome. Inuyasha continued to cast worried glances in her direction, though he could no longer see her. Naraku had grown in such great size and the mass of tentacles he had produced blocked her from his view.

XXX

Jakotsu paced behind the wall of rock, out of sight of the battle. Running his hands over his tangled braid, he stopped and turned to face the others who were watching him.

"Would you stop that?" Ayumi asked, frustrated, _**as**_ she ran her fingers through her tattered locks.

"We should go out there." Jakotsu said in response.

"Are you crazy? And get ourselves killed? We'll do more harm than good." Eri responded incredulously.

"So what do we do?" the effeminate man threw his hands up in exasperation.

"You'll stay here," **c**ame a strangely familiar voice from the darkness. Ayumi and Eri's eyes widened in surprise as recognition washed over their faces. They watched in awe as the two figures passed by them.

XXX

Inuyasha took no notice of the figures that entered the room, he was too busy slowly wading through the sea of tentacles to Naraku. Kouga, however, noticed them immediately. Growling, he turned to face them.

"Kagura, Bankotsu." He nodded at each one, respectively before flexing his claws at them.

"Relax wolf, we're not here for you. We're here for Naraku." Kagura's voice was simple, as if she was talking to a child.

Kouga snorted at them, "I'm not surprised," he said, "But don't expect me to trust you with my back." All three turned quickly when a sudden shout of pain pierced the tense around surrounding them.

The sight that greeted them caused them to cringe. Inuyasha dangled in the air, a tentacle thrust through his stomach. Kagura leapt into action, quickly releasing her fan from her obi, with a flick of her wrist tornadoes appeared, twirling and dancing and heading straight for Inuyasha and Naraku.

"What are you doing?" Kouga yelled at her over the noise of her sister wind.

"Saving your captain, what do you think I'm doing?" She replied arrogantly.

The winds sliced through the tentacles like they weren't even there. The twisted and turned in a rhythmic dance, swirling around Inuyasha and his captor.

"Kagura!" Naraku's furious voice bounced off the ceiling of the cavern and echoed in the wind demoness' ears.

Without responding and with another wave of her arm Kagura sliced the tentacles holding Inuyasha aloft. Naraku's enraged bellow made her smirk in pure satisfaction.

XXX

Ayame watched it all in fascination. Her previous fussing over the unconscious Kagome forgotten. She never noticed as Kagome suddenly rose from behind, the dagger in hand; she snuck through the slack tentacles and she drove the dagger through the base of Naraku's skull. He sputtered some, eyes wide in shock, before his last breath escaped him and his lifeless body slumped to the ground. A sudden realization rang throughout those that remained alive, Naraku was dead.

Inuyasha suddenly found himself wrapped tightly in a hug; he looked where Kagome had appeared in front of him.

"Careful, woman," **h**e reprimanded. She fussed over his shoulder and stomach for several moments before she caught sight of his face. He grinned devilishly at her, an eyebrow cocked in suggestion. She slapped him lightly on the chest, the grin never leaving her face.

"Let's go home," **s**he said, her eyes glittering with joy. He continued to smile up at her, they were finally going home.

XXX


	19. Epilogue: One Year Later

-1A Killer In Hindsight

Epilogue: One Year Later

XXX

I walked up the steps of 29 Wheelden Heights to a little yellow Cape Cod style house with white shutters and a glaring red front door. The pansies that lined the front of the house fluttered in the light breeze. I smiled at them.

My hand shook as I wrung the doorbell. I flinched as the gong sounded. The man that owned this house didn't seem like the kind to have such a cheery ring to his doorbell. I waited patiently as the doorknob clicked and turned, soon I was face to face with a beautiful woman.

"Hello." she greeted me. The smile on her face warmed me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Hello Kagome."

XXX

Dinner continued in an easy fashion after my interruption. There was a place all set for me to the right of Kagome. I ate my meal in silence, content to listen to the easy chatter around me.

After dinner we headed into the cozy little living room just off the dining room. Some settled on the pretty light blue couches, others settled on the hardwood floors. I took to sitting next to Jakotsu on the floor as far away from the man who owned the house.

He was settled into a large armchair, Kagome sat at his feet, smiling up at him. How I wish someone would look at me that same way someday, with complete love and adoration. I chanced a glance at Jakotsu; he would never take notice of me that way no matter how much I wished for it.

The talk was light and carefree; laughter filled the room as someone told a joke. I didn't get it, as per usual, I never really get much. I continued in my much tormented thoughts even as someone came over and asked me if I cared for a glass of wine, I shook my head no. I was drowning myself in self-pity again. I struggled to come back to the conversation.

They were talking about the island and Naraku. Inuyasha had healed from his wounds long ago, although the doctor's told him to take it easy, I heard. It had been exactly one year to the day that we had escaped the island. Inuyasha never did get Tetsusaiga back and he was still sour over it. But he was working on building a new boat, the Shikon.

Kagura and Kanna had come back with us. I looked to the younger girl, her head much in space as my own was. After a long a tedious explanation, Kagura and Bankotsu had been welcomed back among us. Apparently they thought it would be quicker if they took Naraku down themselves. Inuyasha had not been happy that they thought they could do a better job than him. No one had mentioned then that Kagome was really the one who had taken Naraku down.

Kanna looked at me as if she had sensed the direction my thoughts had taken. I looked quickly to the side taking in the strong line of Jakotsu's jaw as he spoke. My thoughts turned wistful again.

XXX

As it became time for everyone to leave Kagome pulled me off to the side.

"Are you alright?" She asked me. I wanted desperately to say no but I nodded my head yes and smiled.

"I'm fine Kagome."

"Hojo…" She looked as if she was going to say something more but I guess she decided to keep it to herself. "Be careful, okay?"

"Okay." I nodded my head again and smiled. **T**hen I was on my way, back to my empty apartment.

"Hojo!" I was barely a block from Inuyasha's house when I heard someone yelling my name. I stiffened as I recognized the voice. I plastered another grin on my face and turned to wave at the effeminate man.

"Jakotsu." I said as he approached me.

"Let me walk you home." He suggested. My eyes widened a fraction and he smiled at me in a flirty manner. I could only nod dumbly as we continued on our way.

XXX

Author's Note: I'm kinda sad to see it end but it's for the better. I start college in the fall and I don't know how busy I'll be. I want to thank EVERYONE. Whether you just read or read and reviewed. You have all been so kind to me and I appreciate every one of you. THANK YOU. I've made some wonderful friendships through this story and I hope they continue. If I had the time to thank each individual reviewer and reader, I would, but alas I don't have that kind of time. So tootles everyone, until we meet again.

P.S. You can find the summaries for my next stories in my profile both on MM and FF. If you find one you particularly like, e-mail me and that may be my next story. Thanks again you guys.


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